


Heart and Soul

by VioletEyedPrincess



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Bullying, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Magic Appendages, Magic!Human, Male!Frisk, Mentions of past abuse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive!Sans, Same gender pairings, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Swearing, Violence, mute!Frisk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2018-07-11 22:22:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 127,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7072840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletEyedPrincess/pseuds/VioletEyedPrincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Juliette Thorn was used to the hard life. After a horrible childhood and awkward, sometimes downright awful teenage years, she never thought things would get better. Being a waitress in Blue Moon Bar and Grill filled with monsterphobic co-workers and owner certainly rubs her the wrong way too. Add in a rather huge secret that is often too much for her to hide and you have a recipe for disaster. However, things begin to change after she seats a rather lazy yet funny Skeleton. For once in her life, things seem to be getting better slowly but steadily. However, with the good comes the bad. The only question is: will she be able to make it out with her sanity and life intact when threats and danger begin to encroach on her life again? What about her best friend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Bleak Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is officially my first story that doesn’t involve Harry Potter. I know, I know! It’s a huge shock! However, I loved watching Jacksepticeye play Undertale and I’ve read so many wonderful stories written by some really talented writers that got my muse all fluffed up and raring to go! Sans is my ultimate favorite character, with Undyne, Alphys and Papyrus all tied for second and the others third. Anyway, this story takes place two years after the events of the game and, as told in the warnings, after the pacifist route and ending. I did make Frisk a boy, though he has androgynous features which is why others can’t tell if he’s male or female. Now, this story begins with a lot of angst and down-trodden moodiness, but it does get better! I promise you that! I do hope you all enjoy this story and let me know what you think!
> 
> Dedications: I would like to dedicate this story to rosesandspades713 for her wonderful story ‘tonight I’ll need you to stay’. I highly recommend you read it as it is a wonderful Sans/Reader story that made me squee a lot!

-Thoughts-

_ Text _

_[Signing]_

_Emphasis on words_

 

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

It was the crack of thunder that jolted the small figure up from their deep sleep. As lightning raced across the sky a few seconds later, it illuminated the inside of the bedroom, revealing the figure to be a small woman with black hair and onyx colored eyes. She blinked blearily for a few seconds before the crack of thunder made her jump; her sleep addled brain shocked into waking up fully. A soft groan left the woman’s mouth as she flopped back down onto the monstrous pillows that dominated the head of her bed. Reaching up, she ran a hand through her hair, wincing as her fingers caught on the tangles she had gotten during her sleep. It took her a few seconds to fully undo a few of the tangles that had trapped her hand, but when her fingers were free she turned her head to the side and stared at the digital alarm clock on her bedside table; squinting in order to make out the numbers.

“Five in the morning?!”She muttered, disbelief in her voice at having been woken at such an ungodly hour.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and shook her head, already knowing that she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. Instead, she slowly sat up and fumbled for her glasses on the nightstand. When her fingers finally connected with the cool metal, she hurriedly put them on and blinked a few times as her dark room came into sharp focus. Between the flashes of lightning and the growls of thunder, she can pick out the light blue walls and, looking up, she can easily spot the different glow-in-the-dark stars that were in the form of many of the different constellations. Call her a dork or a nerd, but she has a soft spot for astronomy. Her room is pretty bare; there’s a bookcase against one wall filled with different books and the lower three shelves were fairly groaning under the weight of the many volumes of manga. A few framed posters hung on her walls and there was a small entertainment stand directly across from her bed with a decent television perched on it. The doors to her walk-in closet are open and there’s another inner door that leads to her own bathroom.

Admittedly, it was a rather nice set-up. She had picked out the apartment with the intention of never wanting to move again; it was just too much of a hassle; and then there was her best friend. Angel was a godsend really. She was her first friend here in South Lyon, Michigan and was the one who began the slow and tedious process of breaking her out of her shyness. Of course she’s still painfully shy, but Angel had managed to get her to open up about herself and, thanks to her tendency to ignore a person’s personal space, got her comfortable with physical touch like hugging and cuddling.

“I should get up…”The woman muttered, blinking a few times before she threw the covers back and swung her legs over the side of her bed.

The woman’s feet didn’t touch the ground as she sat on the edge of her bed and as she scooted off of her bed she nearly stumbled as she took the first few steps. She picked her way through her room, stepping over a few books that had been strewn on the floor along with some clothes, and walked through her closet to her bathroom. Flicking on the light, she winced as it stung her eyes, causing her eyes shut her eyes tightly before cracking them open so she could slowly adjust. After her eyes adjusted, she trudged over to the mirror and looked at herself. Her skin is nicely tanned from the hours she spent outside on walks, hiking and bike riding. She removed her glasses and turned on the faucet, slowly washing her face before snagging a washcloth and drying her skin. Leaning close, she frowned as she examined herself in the mirror.

There’s a small scar on her chin from when she fell off her bike as a little kid. However, her left eye has a milky film over it, making it a dull dark grey instead of onyx like her right eye. A thick scar began right above her left eyebrow and ended an inch below her eye. Swallowing thickly, she fumbled for the foundation she kept beside the main sink she used and hurriedly applied it to the scar. Once most of it was covered, she found herself able to relax. Sighing softly, her eyes closed as she dropped into a light meditative state. She could hear the storm raging outside, the heavy rain hitting the windows and the roof above her, the thunder growling and could practically feel the electricity of the lightning. A faint smile spread across her lips as she remembered on how storms used to frighten her as a child. Her mother used to tell her that angels were bowling and every time thunder boomed it was an angel getting a strike.

Pulling herself out of her trance-like state, she felt more relaxed…more in control. She went through her morning routine and soon moved back into her closet after turning out the bathroom light. Looking through her drawers and shirts, blouses, jeans, slacks and skirts, she was soon dressed in a dark blue shirt, black jeans, and her Legend of Zelda hoodie.

“No use lying around when I’ll never fall asleep.”She muttered, unplugging her phone from its charger and slipping it into her pocket.

Walking out of her bedroom, the faint meow alerted her to a dark shape making its way towards her in the dark hallway. A grin spread across her lips as she carefully picked her way down the hallway, the shape hurrying after her. She passed another closed doorway which led to Angel’s room and the door to the second bathroom before walking into the dining room/kitchen area. A shiver raced through her as her bare feet touched the cool tile of the kitchen floor. She fumbled around a little before finding a light switch and flipping on the light above the double sink. Looking down, a stunning, long furred Calico cat came into view. Half of the cat’s face is black while the other half is dark orange. The woman smiled and bent down, picking up the animal and stroking its head.

“Morning, Trixie. How did you sleep, baby?”She asked, listening as the cat purred loudly and rubbed its head against her neck.

“Did you finish your food already, girl?!”She asked, an eyebrow rising as she spotted the empty food dish on a mat by the counters on the floor.

Shaking her head, she set Trixie down and walked to the pantry. Opening it, she quickly grabbed a plastic container off of the floor and set it on the counter. Trixie wound her way around her owner’s legs, mewing and purring loudly as her food bowl was picked up, rinsed, dried and filled. She eagerly trotted over to the mat and sat down, her eyes trained on the bowl as it was set down in its place once more. She eagerly began eating her food as her owner giggled and shook her head.

“Silly. You gotta make that last until I get home.”

Moving around the kitchen, the woman soon had a bowl of cereal and walked around the breakfast bar. She pulled one of the stools away from the bar and hopped up, sighing as she pulled out her phone and began looking up the weather for the day along with any news. While the storm wouldn’t last all day, the weather reports predicted that it will remain cloudy and rainy throughout the day and well into the night. She mentally made a note to bring an umbrella and wear her raincoat on her walk to work. She has an early morning shift at Blue Moon Bar and Grill while Angel has an afternoon shift. She wouldn’t be able to see her friend for very long; only an hour or two at work before her own shift ends. Shaking her head, she flipped to another tab on her phone and blinked at the headlines.

**_New School Created: Monster and Human Children to attend new school_ **

Her eyes widened as she saw the headline, though a faint smile spread across her lips as she tapped the headline to begin reading the article.

**_Former queen of the Underground: Toriel, has finally gained permission from Michigan’s governor to open up a new school for both human and monster children. Queen Toriel has been meeting with Richard Snyder with Ambassador Frisk about opening the school for the past year. Governor Snyder has finally granted permission to have the school built near New Hudson, Michigan where Ambassador Frisk and Queen Toriel are living. Queen Toriel was available for a statement._ **

**_“While I know that relations between humans and monsters are still growing, I hope to do my part in helping humans learn more about us monsters and help monsters learn about humans. I hope to hire both human and monster teachers and provide classes that teach the children about both cultures as well as common subjects that are taught in both societies like History, Science, Literature and so on.”_ **

“It’s about damn time.”The woman muttered, shaking her head as she exited out of the article as it went on about when the school will be open and so forth.

Monsters came out of the Underground nearly three years ago. It had been slow going for them to begin integrating with humans; after all humans had to get used to the fact that not all monsters were evil. Ambassador Frisk had been busy meeting with President Wilks and the other Presidents and rulers of different countries to explain what monsters were wanting. She hadn’t been too worried about monsters coming to the surface; after all, they were just like humans only…different. The first monster settlement had been created outside of the barrier of Mt. Ebott and monsters slowly began finding employment and homes in different towns and cities near that settlement after half a year. Now, it’s common to see monsters of various ‘races’ walking down the sidewalks, working in shops and even driving.

Of course, that’s not to say things are perfect. Many humans still hate monsters and there have been stories about anti-monster groups vandalizing establishments and homes of monsters and other humans who support monsters and their rights. She knows about a website for monsters that help them find towns, cities, establishments and services that are monster friendly. Heck, she often uses it and is actually in contact with the creator of the site. She’s been helping them with information on her city and the surrounding cities in keeping the link updated for any monsters that live nearby and want to go out to eat without being discriminated against. Things aren’t perfect, but they’re improving steadily. Humming faintly, she exited out of the site and pulled up her e-mail, nearly groaning when she saw a message from one of her co-workers. Her finger hovered over the delete button but she eventually gave in and opened the message.

**_Hey Juliette,_ **

**_I was wondering if you’d be able to cover my shift on Sunday. I have this super important gathering that I have to go to in the U.P. this Sunday and Mister Masters didn’t sign off on giving me the day off._ **

**_However, he did say that if I could find someone to cover my shift I can go. Please cover my shift, Jules!!! I promise I’ll cover whatever shift you might need covered after I get back! It’s a 4 to 11 shift and I was set to be part of the closing team with Jackson and Lance. Let me know ASAP!!!_ **

**_Sasha <3_ **

Groaning, she sighed and glanced over at the whiteboard attached to the fridge. She and Angel had gotten that board in order to keep track of each other’s schedules and chores. Looking over at her schedule, she saw that she was free on Sunday, which made her sigh again. On one hand, she hated closing the bar and grill, even though she wouldn’t be the only one there. They tended to gain the more rowdy crowds and customers in the late evening and she hated dealing with them. However, she wouldn’t be the only one there and she knew Lance, at least, would help her deal with any customers who got out of hand. Jackson has an over-inflated ego and loved hitting on anything with two legs and blonde hair, which made him insufferable. Though, he could handle himself pretty well against many of the drunks and mostly got them to either calm down or leave whenever things got out of hand. There was also the small fact that she has been wanting to pick up a couple more hours since Mister Masters has her scheduled for twenty hours this week.

**_Sasha,_ **

**_Yes I can cover your shift this Sunday. However, you get to tell Mister Masters about it. I’ll look over the schedule for next week and see if there’s a shift I need you to cover when I get to work today._ **

**_Be safe and see you there._ **

**_Juliette._ **

“Well, Trixie, there went my Sunday evening.”Juliette said, sighing as said cat looked at her from her spot on the dining room window sill.

“Ah well. It’s not like I had anything planned that day anyway. Though…I think Angel was planning something with her boyfriend…”She muttered, frowning as she hopped down from the stool and walked around the bar to rinse out her bowl and spoon.

Shuffling around the kitchen, she put a few things away and set her dishes into the small dishwasher that was a part of the counter. Trixie followed her as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room area. She moved over to the front door where she flicked on one of the switches, turning on a floor lamp in a corner of the living room. The living room is rather tasteful with light tan colored walls, a black sectional which was pointed towards the entertainment stand. There was also a rather comfortable looking recliner near the sectional. A coffee table stood in front of the sectional with a few pillar candles on it along with a few coasters. A shoe rack was near the door along with another side table that has a small bowl with their keys in it. There are a few pictures on the wall, mostly of her and Angel: a rather attractive redhead. Shaking her head, she walked over to the sectional and flopped down, sighing as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, relaxing against the cushions. Trixie hopped up beside her and curled up against her leg; purring loudly as she began running her fingers through Trixie’s fur.

It only seemed a few minutes later before the sound of a dog whining echoed through the apartment. Juliette opened her eyes and watched as the door to Angel’s room opened and a black German Shepard trotted out of the room. A smile spread across her lips as Angel staggered out of her bedroom, still dressed in her pajamas and her hair bushy. Angel paused when she saw her friend, blinking a few times before she realized that, yes, Juliette is awake at six in the morning.

“Jules? Why the hell are you up?”She asked, her voice rough and scratchy from sleep.

“Thunder woke me up. I couldn’t get back to sleep so decided to get dressed and eat.”Juliette said, shrugging lightly as Angel snorted.

“Can you do me a favor and take Shade out to use the bathroom? I need to go pee.”Angel mumbled, staggering towards the bathroom as Juliette shook her head and got up.

“Sure thing.”She called, walking over to the small closet in the dining room and pulled out her raincoat.

Shade whined and wiggled as he watched Juliette pulled on her raincoat and walked over to the shoe rack. She slipped on her boots and grabbed Shade’s harness, making the large dog bark and wiggle excitedly. It was a slight struggled to get his harness on, especially since he didn’t want to sit still long enough for her to do so. Finally she had the contraption on and attached his leash to it. Unlocking the deadbolt and normal lock, she opened the door and laughed as Shade nearly pulled her out of the apartment; having just enough time to reach behind her and close the door. She and Shade jogged down the stairs and out into the storm. The large dog instantly headed over to the grassy area to the side and began sniffing around, making Juliette shake her head fondly.

As Shade did his business, she looked around the area. The apartment complex was one of the nicer ones with plenty of grass and trees for pets and children to run around on. There were also a few charcoal grills and picnic tables scattered around the lawns for residents to enjoy during the warmer months. There was another apartment building directly across from the one she had just come out of and behind her apartment building, six others appeared in the gloom. She made a mental note to stop by the office and turn in this months rent on her way past it to work. She had no doubt that Angel will try and take her to work, but her friend had worked the closing shift the night before and thus needs the extra sleep in order to properly function without having a bitchy attitude.

Looking down at Shade, Juliette smiled and picked up his leavings before tossing them in a nearby bin attached to one of the poles with extra doggy bags incase an owner had forgotten theirs in their apartment. Leading Shade back to the building, they stepped inside and she laughed when he shook himself, effectively splattering her with water along with the sides of the other apartments. They headed up to the second floor and into the apartment, where Angel was waiting with a towel to rub down her dog.

“Thanks, Jules.”Angel said, smiling as she looked at her friend while Juliette pulled off her raincoat and boots.

“No problem. Now get back to bed. I know you didn’t get to sleep until two in the morning.”She said, shooing her friend towards her room.

“But-“

“No! I’ll be fine. You need the sleep before work. Now go.”

“Thanks, Jules. Be careful on your way to work. Text me when you get there.”Angel said, hugging her friend before disappearing back into her room.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

Juliette shivered as she stepped into the back room of Blue Moon Bar and Grill. She hadn’t expected the simple rain shower to suddenly become a downpour in the middle of her walk to work. Nor had she expected several cars to drive by and hit some puddles near the curb, effectively soaking her to the bone. She was grateful that she had thought ahead and had stuffed her uniform into her waterproof bag along with her shoes. The manager would’ve had a fit if she had come to work soaked and with no ‘proper’ shoes to wear, never mind the fact that all of her co-workers know she doesn’t have a car. It wasn’t that she doesn’t know how to drive; she just never had a real longing to get a car. She often walked, biked or skated wherever she needed and living in the downtown area of South Lyon meant that she didn’t have very far to go to get whatever she wanted or needed.

“I hope you have a dry uniform.”A tall, handsome man said, his green eyes narrowed as he looked Juliette over.

“Yes, Victor, I have dry clothes and my shoes. I just need to change in the restroom.”She said, shifting as she pulled off her coat and hung it up in her locker.

“Well hurry up. We need to prepare the kitchen, counters, displays and tables. We have three breakfast reservations for some important people and I don’t need us to fall behind just because you were stupid enough to walk here in this weather.”Victor snapped, stalking out of the back room as Juliette flinched and swallowed tightly.

She honestly hated Victor Masters. Yes, the man is rather good looking but his personality left much to desire. Victor is the owner’s son and the general manager of the place. He ran the place whenever his dad wasn’t there and he loved playing favorites. It wasn’t uncommon to see him flirting with the younger and more beautiful female employees. It also wasn’t uncommon to hear him complaining about her, Angel, a few other employees and, of course, monsters. Victor was a huge monsterphobe and it drove her insane listening to him making fun of some of the races of monsters who lived in the city or passed by outside of the building. It wasn’t very often that they had monster guests, but whenever they did he had the hostess seat them in Angel’s section and sent her to the kitchen to cook their meals. Practically all of the other employees, bar a few, shared the same mindset that Victor has of monsters.

“Morning Jules! Thanks for agreeing to cover my shift this Sunday. You’re the best!”Sasha said, bouncing into the room and putting away her coat.

Sasha is a rather beautiful brunette with flawless mocha colored skin and sparkling brown eyes. She really looked good in the uniform, which consisted of a form fitting dark blue, short sleeved blouse, a knee length black skirt which flared and swayed with her moves, dark blue knee-high socks and low heel black shoes. Her hair is tied back, as per the rules, though a few curly strands were already escaping the hold of her tie. While Juliette didn’t really consider Sasha a close friend, she got along well with the bubbly, younger woman and Sasha often helped her deal with problematic customers and whenever things got busy.

“No problem, Sasha. Just remember to get it cleared with Mister Masters. I don’t want you to get into trouble.”Juliette said, pulling out her uniform and walking towards the door leading further into the restaurant.

“I will, don’t worry! Now, go get dried and changed before Victor snaps at you. We open in an hour and a half and Kevin is already cooking up a storm while Berry and Josh are scrubbing the kitchen. I think we might have a ‘surprise’ inspection sometime today.”Sasha said, Juliette blinking in surprise.

“Alright. Thanks, Sasha.”She said, disappearing through the door.

Juliette walked down the wide hallway; passing by the double swinging doors that led to the kitchens. Sure enough, she spotted two guys cleaning and wiping down every surface in the kitchen while another man worked at one of the counters making fresh pies, cookies, muffins and other snacks for the displays at the front of the restaurant where guests came in and were seated. There were three other ‘rooms’, two of which are offices belonging to Mister Masters, the owner of the building, and Victor’s office. The third room is considered their break room which has a few tables and chairs for them to eat and take a load off their feet instead of taking their breaks in the main dining room. Juliette pushed through the double doors at the end of the hallway and hurried into the main dining room. There were two others in the dining room putting down the chairs and wiping down the tables.

“Morning Mike, morning Lila.”She called, waving to the two others as she made her way to the front of the building where the restrooms are.

She received a hello back from them before she made it to the womens room and ducked inside. The automatic light came on and she walked to the handicap stall, locking it behind her. Toeing off her drenched socks, she quickly removed her shirt, which had gotten soaked around the collar, and her jeans which were completely drenched. A sound of discomfort left her when she realized that the rain had soaked through her jeans and had gotten her underwear as well. Sighing and mentally thanking her instincts, she began pulling out her uniform and the included extra pair of underwear she had packed a week ago but had never used. She also pulled out the small towel she had brought with her and patted herself dry before pulling on her dry clothes. She wrapped her soaked clothes in a plastic bag and tucked that inside her bag before pulling out a travel hairbrush and hurriedly brushing her hair before slipping on her shoes. Now dressed and ready for work, she packed away her things and stepped out of the stall. She paused at the mirror above the sinks to ensure she looked professional enough for work before nodding and stepping out.

Juliette hurried to the back room once more and stored her bag away in her locker before heading the main dining room and helping Mike and Lila with the chairs and tables. Lila is another waitress like herself though Mike is a busboy with waiter training and also picks up late night shifts as a backup bartender. The bar in the restaurant wasn’t open until afternoon, which meant that they wouldn’t be seating anyone at the bar until then and their bartenders were allowed to have a lie-in. Families tended to come in the mornings for breakfast and then early afternoon for lunch and then they started getting the more ‘adult’ crowds who wanted to partake in the bar and the two flat-screen televisions which were almost always playing some kind of game. It was also around then that they started getting the guys who loved to hit on the waitresses because of their looks and uniforms.

Conversation was easy as they chatted and worked; talking about the supposed important reservations and asking each other what shifts they work and what they were planning on doing their days off. Mike, a college student, was looking forward to the start of the new school year. He’s studying to become a lawyer and has three more years of study left before taking the bar exams; something that he hopes to pass. His father is a lawyer as well and he wants to join his dad and perhaps even take over the family practice when his dad is ready to retire. Lila happily talked about her planned vacation to Paris in a few weeks, to which they reminded her to take plenty of pictures so she could show them her trip when she returns. It wasn’t long before they had the dining room clean and ready to go. Next they made trips to the kitchen and collected the pastries and pies to put in the displays near the registers and organized them, ensuring each had a card telling what each item was and how much they cost for a single piece or multiple.

Victor wrote down the specials on a whiteboard near the hostess stand before having the main hostess, Sasha, call everyone who had made a reservation to ensure they would be coming in. It wasn’t too often that they had people from businesses make reservations at the bar and grill; normally they were for sports and retirement parties and the occasional graduation party. However, this would raise the ‘status’ of the place by having businesses make reservations now. Juliette personally thought that there wasn’t too much to look at here at the bar and grill. The walls were painted with scenes and murals of various sports teams and there were pictures of famous sports team members who had visited the place before. The place was a tad dark, though they were actually opening the blinds and turning up the lighting to make the place a bit brighter considering how dark and gloomy things were outside. The people who called in the reservations confirmed they were still coming so four of them got to work pushing tables together and putting plaques on the tables that say ‘reserved’ on them so other patrons wouldn’t ask why those tables weren’t available.

As soon as nine o’clock hit, the door was unlocked and the open sign was turned on. Sasha took her place at the hostess stand, while Lila, Juliette and Nick stood in the hallway behind the doors waiting for customers to begin arriving. A few people began trickling in, all of them wearing raincoats or having umbrellas which were hung up on the coat station near the door before Sara seated them. Nick and Lila were soon busy taking drink orders after bringing the customers a glass of ice water before heading to the kitchen to get the drinks and delivering them out to the customers. When the first party arrived, Juliette winced when Sasha took them to one of the designated tables…in her section. Quickly counting out how many there were, she hurried into the kitchen and got several glasses; filling them with ice water before putting them on a serving tray. Balancing it on one of her hands, she walked out of the kitchen and out to the main dining room, a smile on her face as she walked over to the large group.

“Good morning gentlemen, ladies! I’m Juliette and I’ll be your waitress for today.”She said, smiling as she began handing everyone a glass and straw.

Tucking the tray underneath her arm, she pulled out her small ticket book and quickly wrote down their drink orders. Smiling and promising to be back soon, she hurried into the kitchen and quickly set about getting a pot of coffee, two bowls filled with different packets of creamer, tea bags and began the process of making a banana/strawberry smoothie. She quickly looked at the television screen which showed the dining room, mentally cursing when she saw that there were four new people seated in her area waiting for her. She quickly put together four more glasses of ice water and began organizing everything onto a serving tray. Once she had everything settled, she briskly walked out of the kitchen and over to the large table, giving everyone their drinks along with the pot of coffee and tea pots. Setting the tray down on an empty table, she quickly jotted down their orders, mentally knowing that Kevin would have his work cut out for him with this party. She then hurried over to the new table and gave them their glasses and took their drink orders, smiling as she promised to be back soon.

The other two reservation parties show up in quick succession, though Sarah thankfully planned it so that Lila and Nick would each have a party to take care of. Juliette felt she could kiss the woman for doing that as things were quickly becoming busy. She didn’t understand what it was about dreary and rainy days that made people flock to restaurants in droves. Soft music played over the speakers while the noise level rose as more people came in. Juliette kept supplying the party with plenty of drinks and whisked away their appetizer dishes before bringing out their main course. She flushed and smiled when the boss of the party complimented her on her speed and attentiveness. She had learned a long time ago when to judge people based on body language when they wanted to speak with her or just wanted to be alone to do whatever it was they wanted to do.

There was one mishap when Nick accidently took the dishes meant for one of her tables, which resulted in an upset customer. However, Sasha hurried over and soon had them calmed down and the dishes were brought back and the customer got their drinks for free and a discount on their final bill because of the mistake. Victor wasn’t happy when he learned of what had happened and quickly pulled Nick into his office for a word with the young man. When Nick came back out he took a quick break outside to calm down and collect himself; which meant he ended up smoking two cigarettes.

Juliette passed him in the hallway after he came back inside and winced at the strong smell of smoke. He saw the wince and hurried to the backroom where he put on some Axe body spray. Victor always threw a fit whenever a customer complained of the smell of smoke; especially when this is a smoking free building. A few more waitresses came in and the second cook: Jason came in to help with the lunch crowd. Angel arrived at one and was quick to jump in and help clear tables and do dishes while Rodney, the bartender, began opening the bar. It wasn’t long after that when the customers began ordering drinks from the bar. Victor finally called Juliette into the back and informed her that she can take her half-hour lunch. Sighing in relief, she thanked him and instantly went to the back room and pulled off her shoes and slipped on her boots. Pulling on her raincoat, she pulled the hood up and walked out the back door.

While they did get their meals free if they ate at the restaurant, Juliette never really cared for the food. Instead, there was this café that had opened up a few months ago. It was run by a monster named Vixen who looked a lot like a humanoid fox. It reminded her of the anime fox characters from various shows she had caught a glimpse of. It also helped that Vixen was very kind and welcoming, even though she never got very many human customers. Thankfully the rain had calmed down and it was no longer storming out. A quick dash across the street found her outside of the Fox Den Café. Pushing the door open, her eyes closed as warmth washed over her along with the delicious scent of coffee and pastries. The door closed behind her as the bell above the door chimed, drawing the attention of the few customers and the staff. Vixen was behind the counter and instantly smiled, waving Juliette over as the dark haired woman flushed.

“Hey, Juliette! I was wondering if you’d come in today.”Vixen said, grinning as Juliette walked over.

“You know I can’t stay away, Vix. My manager finally decided to let me take my lunch.”Juliette said, smiling as she looked at the monster.

“Well, take a seat and I’ll make up your normal.”Vixen said, smiling as Juliette blushed lightly and smiled.

“You’re the best, Vixen. Just add it to my tab.”She said, the monster nodding as she headed through the archway to the kitchen.

Juliette walked past a few tables and over to the front of the café. There are rather comfortable chairs there, allowing customers to sit and sip their drinks while watching the crowds outside through the large front windows. She happily sat down and leaned back, sighing as the ache in her feet slowly faded now that she’s sitting. Looking around, she smiled and nodded to a few regular customers that she has been around before, many of them monsters who smiled and nodded back at her. However, there were two new monsters that she has never seen before. Both of them are skeletons, which surprised her honestly. She hadn’t even thought that there were skeleton monsters but then again, she wasn’t one to really get out and hang out others besides her job and whenever Angel dragged her out of the apartment to go shopping. One of the skeletons is rather tall and his….anatomy?, seems much closer to a human skeleton from what she remember in school. He’s dressed in a pair of torn jeans, red boots, a tee-shirt with an image of a plate of spaghetti, a red cape and red gloves. The second skeleton is shorter than the other and appears more…aloof. Dressed in a medium blue hoodie with white fake fur around the hood, his lower body is dressed in a pair of black shorts and he’s wearing tennis shoes.

“Sans, Papyrus, you guys need a refill?”One of the workers asked, popping her head around the corner to look at the two skeletons.

“No thank you.”The taller skeleton said, his voice higher pitched and instantly reminded Juliette of Skeletor from He Man.

“Na, I’m good.”The second skeleton added, his voice deeper and holding what Juliette would call a slight New York accent.

She looked away from the pair and smiled when Vixen walked over with a plate and cup. Thanking her, Juliette instantly took a deep drink of her coffee, which was heavily laced with French Vanilla creamer, before taking a generous bite of her lamb sandwich, humming happily when she realized that Vixen had loaded it with ketchup. Even though her job wasn’t the best, she was glad that she could come here and relax. Vixen hadn’t been too sure of her at first, after all, there were many humans that treat monsters like filth, but once Vixen realized that she had no issues with any of monsters, she had been welcomed in the café and the other regulars quickly found out that she wasn’t like other humans. She had made some small talk with a few of the monsters who were visiting the café during her many visits, but she hadn’t really taken the time to get to know any of them besides Vixen.

-Things might be crappy but at least I have this little sanctuary.-She thought, smiling softly as she eagerly devoured her sandwich.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Sans remembered when Bunny had told him about her girlfriend’s new café. She had been so excited that her long ears had been straight up whereas they were normally down as she boasted about how proud she was of her girl’s new place and everything that it meant to them. Vixen had finally gotten a permit to open her café and she was a pretty good cook according to Bunny. The last time he had talked to her, she had practically begged him to go and check out the café, to which he told her that he would when he had the time and energy to do so. Things for him and Pap have been improving greatly, even though there had been minor setbacks. After Frisk became the ambassador for monsters the kid had been working day in and day out to get the humans used to them. He and Asgore and Tori had been working themselves to the bone in order to get the president to agree to allow monsters to settle outside of the underground.

After the first few months of tension and worry, they had been allowed to create a settlement outside the barrier. He and Papyrus had decided to wait for a little while, let the humans get used to the other monsters and slowly warm up to the idea hopefully. When monsters finally began spreading out to the different states and even to other countries, his brother had practically begged him for them to move out of Snowdin and he finally relented. He couldn’t really deny Paps anything if he was honest with himself; and there was the fact that almost everyone had already moved out of the underground by then. It had taken some work, but they had finally found a small, two bedroom apartment for the both of them in Novi Michigan. It hadn’t been very nice there; the owners of the complex had been pretty hostile towards them and there had been plenty of problems with getting someone to fix the pipes when they had begun leaking.

In fact, there had been many reports of humans taking advantage of monsters when they first began spreading out among the different states. Thankfully, he and Paps had been able to save up enough money to finally move in to a nice house in a mostly monster neighborhood a year after moving into their apartment. The house is nice with four bedrooms for whenever their friends decide to come and visit and end up crashing for the night. Since then they moved into their house, things have gotten a lot better. They no longer had to constantly worry about someone breaking into their place or being attacked by a group of humans in the streets. Frisk is continuing to do wonders in helping to get monsters more and more rights and protections, especially since there are still groups of humans who want nothing more than to see them driven back into the underground.

The chiming of the bell in the café breaks Sans out of his thoughts. Looking up, he was surprised to see a human woman walk over to the front counter. More surprising was Vixen’s greeting and the fact that she seems to know the human. Focusing on the human, he looked her over while Papyrus was eagerly digging into the muffin Vixen had brought over not even a minute before the human had entered. The human’s hair is lightly curled, black in color with two rather interesting white streaks. He’s never really seen a human with black and white hair before; even though he has seen humans dye their hair rather interesting colors. She’s pretty short; shorter than most of others he’s seen unless they’re children or young teens. Her clothing seems to be some sort of uniform and, as she walks over to a chair, he catches sight of her long legs. Looking at her face, is rather surprised to see that her eyes are black in color, blending perfectly with the pupils. However, he frowned lightly when he saw that one of her eyes is dull dark grey color.

-Is she blind in one eye?-He thought, looking down and unwrapping his own muffin.

He’s only partially paying attention when Jazz asks if he and Pap are alright, though his brother thankfully responds which gives him enough time to pull himself out of his musings. He grins at Jazz as he confirms that he and Papyrus are doing just fine and happily begins eating. His eyes wander over to the human, to Juliette from what Vixen called her, as Vixen delivers her food. His grins widens slightly as Juliette nearly melts in her seat as she drink her coffee, the heady scent of vanilla wafting over to him. Seeing so many other monsters wave and eventually even a few stopped by to chat with her was surprising. Bunny had told him that not many humans were visitors of Vixen’s café since it was run by a monster and mostly catered towards monsters. However, there was something….heartwarming in seeing a human interacting so easily with random monsters.

“Juliette! It’s _so_ good to see you!”

Sans blinked and raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw Bratty and Catty rush over to the woman and envelop her into a hug. The woman had just enough time to set down her sandwich on the small table beside her chair before this happened. He was further surprised and pleased when Juliette hugged them back, not cringing or showing any signs of disgust at touching a monster.

“Hey, Catty. Hey, Bratty. How is your search for jobs going?”Juliette asked, smiling as the two sat down in the two other chairs.

“Like super slow.”Bratty huffed, folding her arms in front of her as Juliette looked at her in concern.

“Yeah. Like, no wants to, like, hire us because we’re monsters.”Catty complained, making Sans grit his teeth as anger spiked.

“I’m sorry, girls. I wish I knew more people who were monster friendly. I know Kroger’s isn’t the most glamourous job but they’ve been hiring and I know that they’re monster friendly…did you try that new bar and grill? Grillbys I think it’s called?”Juliette asked, watching as the two girls shifted.

“We, like, tried New Grillbys but he’s, like, already has all of the help he needs.”Catty said, Juliette nodding her head in understanding.

“We’ll try Kroger’s though. It’s better than some of the places we’ve been to.”Bratty added, making Juliette nod and smile.

“Anyway, we’d better, like, head out. It was wonderful seeing you again!”Catty said, standing up and hugging the woman.

“Same! I’ll tell Angel that I saw you two. She might know of a few more places that’re hiring. She gets out more than I do.”Juliette said, laughing as she was hugged tighter by the two girls.

“Thanks, Juliette!”

“You’re, like, the absolute _best_!”

The pair left and Juliette began eating once more, though when she glanced at her phone, she suddenly swore and crammed the last mouthful of sandwich into her mouth. Mumbling a goodbye to everyone, she hurriedly put on her coat and grabbed her coffee before dashing outside and running down the sidewalk. Even Papyrus was looking up and looked slightly surprised. That surprise increased when Vixen sighed softly and walked out from behind the counter to pick up Juliette’s empty plate.

“Poor girl.”She muttered, blinking when Papyrus reached out and touched her arm.

“What happened? Why did the human girl leave so quickly?”He asked, making his brother silently thank him for asking the questions that were burning in his mind.

“Juliette works for the Blue Moon Bar and Grill. I’m guessing her lunch was almost over so she had to run. I swear they don’t pay her enough.”Vixen said, frowning as she handed the dirty plate to one of her employees.

“What do you mean?”Sans asked, watching as Vixen looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“You seem pretty curious about a random human, Sans.”She asked, a faint smirk crossing her lips as the lazy skeleton shrugged.

“Can’t blame me for being interested.”He said, making the woman roll her eyes.

“The manager there is a real jerk. He and practically all of the staff are monsterphobic. She and her friend work there and they hate it because they’re for monsters living on the surface and for our rights. I know she was promised a position as a chef there but they never gave it to her, even though she has a culinary degree. I’ve offered her a position here, but I only have room for one more person and she doesn’t want to leave her friend there alone.”Vixen explained, watching as Papyrus looked concern.

“That poor human! She sounds like a great human, I wish there was something that could be done!”Papyrus said, looking down at his plate sadly as Sans patted his arm.

“I’m sure she’ll figure something out, Paps. She sounds like a pretty good human.”Sans said, Vixen nodding her head.

“That she is. Anyway, I’d better make sure Maisy isn’t going to burn anything.”She said, heading back behind the counter and disappearing into the kitchen.

Sans grinned as Papyrus started talking about Undyne and her new job. She had finally managed to open a gym for both monsters and humans and many were already signing up for her training courses. He knew that Undyne would be great, even though some of her workouts are extreme, she’ll be able to help out a lot of humans and monsters alike. It was fairly easy for her to get the permit for owning and opening her gym since she has a humanoid figure though he was also grateful that things have changed enough for them to be able to own and operate their own businesses. He also knew that Undyne will have her business protected by some kind of magic; heck she’s studied enough of it to figure out how to create shields thanks to him.

“I’m hoping that she’ll hire me as another trainer! I have some _great_ workouts in mind!”Papyrus said, his voice excited as they stood and tossed their garbage into the bin.

“I’m sure your workouts are gonna be a _bonefied_ success.”Sans said, chuckling as a few other customers snickered when they heard his pun.

“ _Sans_! Will you _stop_ that?!”Papyrus cried, scowling as he put his hands on his hips while looking down at his older brother.

“Awe, c’mon Paps, don’t start _skulking_ on me.”Sans said, his shoulders shaking in his attempt to keep himself from laughing as Papyrus let out a frustrated cry and stormed from the café.

Sans waved to the other customers, most of which are laughing, before heading out after his brother. He knew that Pap secretly loved his puns; he just didn’t want to admit it. Looking around, he spotted Papyrus by the crosswalk and headed over, a grin on his face as his brother huffed and glared at him. When they were able, they crossed the street and continued down the sidewalk and Papyrus’ bad mood faded the more they walked. He excitedly began looking at the various window displays of the shops they were passing, pointing out different things to Sans that caught his eye. Sans happily indulged his brother, listening as Papyrus happily talked about which item would suit one of their many friends and asking if they could go window shopping on a nicer day when the shops are open.

Further down the block, Sans looked up when Papyrus fell silent, concern spreading through him when he saw his brother had paused and was staring at one of the buildings further down the way. Looking ahead, he instantly saw what was bothering his little brother. A small group of men and women were standing underneath an awning attached to the Blue Moon Bar and Grill. What had stopped Papyrus were the looks of disgust and anger on their faces when they saw him and Paps. His perpetual grin faded from his face as he felt his anger start to rise as the humans continued to sneer at him and Papyrus. His right pupil faded while his left began glowing a bright cyan blue, his magic, the same color as his eye, began gathering in his hands. One of the women noticed and instantly looked fearful; which made her ‘friends’ notice as well. They hurriedly stamped out their cigarette and scuttled inside; Sans never taking his eye off of them. Only when the door closed behind them and he felt Papyrus’ hand on his shoulder did his eye turn back to normal and his other pupil come into focus. Shaking himself, he looked up at Papyrus, noticing the look of worry and gratefulness in his brother’s eyes.

“It’s okay, Sans.”Papyrus said, his older brother nodding lightly.

“…I know Paps. Let’s get home and get dry. I’m soaked to the bone.”Sans said, a small grin appearing on his face as Papyrus groaned and hurried ahead.

Sans chuckled as he followed after his brother at a more leisurely pace. As he walked past the windows of Blue Moon Bar and Gill, he looked through the windows and into the building. There were only humans inside, and it was rather crowded. He spotted Juliette carrying two serving trays filled with plates of food. It surprised him that such a tiny and seemingly delicate human could carry that much, but considering how strong Frisk is, he knew not to judge others based on appearances. Now that she doesn’t have her raincoat covering her, he saw that is rather attractive…for a human that is. Her blouse hugged her upper body, outlining her curves while her skirt ended just above her knees and showed off her legs. Her shoes added an inch of height to her, but made her seem more…dainty at the same time. Shaking his head, Sans picked up his pace after looking away from the window. The last thing he needs is for someone to see him looking at the waitresses and come out to yell at him. However…there was no sign saying that monsters aren’t allowed inside.

-Maybe I could get to know her. Any human that Vix approves of has gotta be a decent person.-He thought, catching up with Papyrus by using his magic to teleport next to his brother.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

Juliette sighed as she finally toed off her heeled shoes. Even though she was supposed to have gotten off at two, Victor had made her stay an extra _two_ hours because she had accidently dropped a tray of food. It hadn’t been her fault; rather a customer had been standing up and knocked into her. Of course, Victor had forced her to apologize, even though the customer explained that it was his fault and made her clean up the mess on her own before working two hours without overtime pay. She knew that he would dock the cost of the plates and bowls that had been broken from her check. Thankfully the customer had been kind enough and had given her a large tip to apologize for knocking into her. Her tips had been rather nice today, especially from the large party in the morning. Victor had been somewhat impressed by her speed and efficiency and he had been more than happy when the boss of that party had said that they would be back for another meal; the others of that group agreeing.

Pulling on her boots, she quickly donned her raincoat and said goodbye to the others who were leaving. Stepping outside, she frowned when she saw that it’s already dark outside; though it has finally stopped raining. Walking around the building, she stepped onto the sidewalk and took off in the direction of the apartment complex. Angel had warned her to be careful, reminding her that some shady people came out during the dark. She took her friend’s advice to heart and, ever since they moved in together she took to having a pocketknife on her person during any late night walks and bike rides. She also has a small can of mace in her clutch so she won’t have to resort to violence incase someone tries anything. She’s only had to use it once when she was skating through the nearby park and had been approached by a guy who attempted to get a little too…hands-on.

Moving quickly, she walked the five blocks to the complex and sighed as soon as she walked past the main office. The main office is connected to the rather large clubhouse. The clubhouse has a large gathering room for people to rent out for parties and it included a dining area, kitchen and couches. There are the bathrooms, a rather nice gym, a hot-tub room, a public shower room and then the outdoor pool which is surprisingly massive and includes a diving board. Walking through the complex, the playground was illuminated by a few streetlamps and so was the fenced in dog run. A surprising number of residents have dogs, so Shade had plenty of buddies to play with whenever she and Angel took him there and let him loose. Looking at the various apartment buildings, she nodded to a few people who were outside, taking shelter under the balcony and overhanging roof. Even though the complex is a rather nice place, the buildings aren’t enclosed and it’s rather freezing whenever she and Angel has to carry their clothes down to the basement laundry room in the winter. Turning the corner, she headed towards the back of the complex as her and Angel’s apartment is in the last building.

Reaching their building, she jogged up the stairs while fishing out her keys from her coat pocket. She could already hear Shade at the door whining and pawing at the door. Smiling, she unlocked the door and pushed it open, laughing when she was eagerly greeted by the dog and Trixie who was mewing on the arm of the sectional. She simply set her bag down and picked up Shade’s harness before wrestling the large dog into the contraption before attaching his leash to it. Shade nearly pulled her arm out of its socket as he pulled and whined towards the stairs. Closing the door, she hurried down the stairs and onto the lawn, smiling and waving at their downstairs neighbors. Missus Robinson smiled and waved back, her youngest son on her hip while their small Cocker Spaniel: Daisy, did her business nearby.

“How was work, dear?”She asked, watching as Juliette watched Shade to make sure he didn’t go too far.

“It was alright, the same old stuff mostly. Though we had three important reservations come in. I also made two hundred in tips!”Juliette answered, the older woman letting out a low whistle.

“Very impressive, Juliette. I saw Angel leave earlier today.”She added, Juliette nodding.

“Yeah, she’s closing tonight but she has her truck.”

“Good. You know my eldest can always pick you up from work. He works late at the bookstore and gets off a little before Blue Moon closes. You shouldn’t be walking around alone at night.”Missus Robinson said, worry in her voice as Juliette smiled and flushed.

“I’m okay. I have a pocketknife and a bottle of mace on me at all times.”She said, watching as Missus Robinson nodded though she didn’t look too pleased.

A whine let her know that Shade was finished, along with the fact that he walked over and nudged her leg. Bending down, she patted his head and said goodnight to Missus Robinson and her son before heading back upstairs to the apartment. Inside, she dried off Shade’s paws and his muzzle before toeing off her boots and hanging up her coat. Heading to the kitchen, she filled up Shade’s food bowl and did the same for Trixie, in which she also gave them a few treats for being so good while she and Angel were at work. She walked back to the front door and locked it before drawing the blinds on the windows. Once that was done, she made her way towards her room after picking up her bag. As she went, she slowly stripped her uniform off; thankful that she has tomorrow off. All three of her uniforms are dirty and she had quite the collection of dirty laundry that was spilling out of her hamper. Stepping into her room, she tossed her dirty clothes in the general direction of her hamper and walked through her closet to her bathroom.

Deciding to forgo the normal shower, she quickly had hot water filling up her rather nice, whirlpool tub. After these last four days at the bar and grill, she deserved an hour or so of pampering. She had the next two days off then works Sunday and Monday; joy of joys. Adding some bubble bath that she had gotten from Bath and Body Works, she moved around her bathroom and lit some of the different candles she had scattered around the room. Finally, she moved over to her vanity and removed her glasses before removing her makeup. Leaning close, she turned slightly and flinched when she saw the beginnings of the scars that marred her back. Her entire back, from the back of her neck down to the swell of her butt was covered in scars of various length and width. All of them are slightly faded and all are completely healed, but they were still there and, against her tanned skin, stood out sharply.

Angel is the only one outside of her family that knows how she had gotten those scars and Angel had been enraged when she learned the truth. To her doctors she explained that she had been in a car accident, which wasn’t a lie…so to speak, so they never really questioned how she had gotten her scars. She knew it was horrible covering up evidence of abuse, but the thought of telling the doctors or police about what her father and his brother, her uncle, had done to her scared her to death. It would lead to questions, questions she didn’t want to answer. Her mother’s brother, her uncle Sebastian, had taken her in when he learned of what was going on. She loved him dearly and it had devastated her when he had died during a robbery. Of course she was glad that his killers were in prison for life, but that wouldn’t bring him back. Even though he is gone though, he’s still looking out for her.

Her uncle had never married and never had any children. He had, however, written a will in which he left everything to her. His entire fortune, books, heirlooms and estate had been left to her, which had shocked her and her family. She went from a near penniless teenager to a multi-millionaire in the matter of days. Her uncle’s lawyer had explained that everything was concrete, that she was now an emancipated minor and her parents couldn’t touch her fortune. She had sold her uncle’s house as soon as she graduated high school. It was too painful for her to continue living there though she had moved many of his things into a storage locker for safe keeping. She had relied on her fortune to get her through college, but she still took part-time jobs in order to one: get job experience, and two: so she wasn’t blazing through her inheritance. She and Angel had gotten the apartment together as they both wanted to live together and she wanted to set out on her own away from her family. She also helped Angel with her truck by paying for gas and oil changes.

Sighing, she turned away from the mirror and walked back over to the bath. Turning off the water, she slowly stepped into the steaming water and sunk down, sighing in bliss as the scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla wafted up from the bubble while the hot water surrounded her. Reaching over to the edge of the tub, she pressed the button that started up the jets; groaning as they hit the tight muscles on her back, sides and legs. One thing she loved about being so short was that she could relax comfortably in the tub without having to have her legs folded. There weren’t too many perks to being short, but those she found she liked.

As she relaxed, her mind wandered to what she is doing with her life. Working at the Blue Moon Bar and Grill wasn’t what she had expected. She had been hired during her last year of college and the owner of the place had talked about her becoming one of the chefs thanks to her getting a degree in culinary arts to become a chef and head cook. She had also gotten her minor in food service manager and had taken a few classes in business management. However, even after she talked to the owner about possibly getting promoted, nothing has happened and it didn’t look like she’ll be promoted to one of the cooks anytime soon. The only time she was allowed to cook was whenever a monster came into the restaurant. Sasha always seated then in her or Angel’s section so none of the other waiters/waitresses dealt with them. The two other cooks refused to cook meals for monsters so she was always put in the kitchen to cook their meals. While she loved getting the chance to cook, she hated how it came about.

Earlier that day, not long after she had returned from her lunch break, she had overheard a small group of customers talking about two monsters they saw walking towards them. She had been surprised to find out that they were talking about the two skeletons she had seen in Vixen’s cafe. What shocked her more, however, was when they mentioned that the shorter skeleton had begun to draw on what they assumed his magic when he saw them looking at him and the other monster beside him. Honestly, she couldn’t blame them for being defensive. If she had people glaring and sneering at her she would certainly be prepared to defend herself or do something to chase them away. The attitudes of many of her co-workers irritated her and it was very tempting to simply walk in and turn in her uniform. However, she didn’t think she could do that without having another job lined up.

Yes, she does still have a lot of her inheritance left and that inheritance is increasing thanks to the investments her uncle had dipped in before his death. However, she doesn’t want to live her life relying on that money when she’s perfectly capable of working. Her uncle had taught her the value of hard work and she honestly loved cooking and could see herself being happy should she ever get the chance to become a chef. Of course she and Angel had talked and fantasized about quitting their lowly jobs and buying their own business. The idea was that they would open up a two story business. The first floor is a nice restaurant with a bar at the back for people to come and eat and drink and just relax and enjoy themselves. The second floor they wanted to turn into a nightclub with another bar and kitchen. The place would welcome both humans and monsters; give both races the chance to mingle in a nice place where no one will judge them or treat them differently just because they’re all different from each other.

Of course, that was a dream. They had doubts that they could find a building that suited their ideas and then there was the problem of them both only being twenty-five. People were generally hesitant when selling things like a house or business to people so young. They also had to think about how much money they’d be investing in such a place and getting the staff and items to stock the place. Even she knew that her inheritance would take quite a pounding if they went through with it. However…who’s to say the place wouldn’t be a success? Her uncle had always told her to go ahead and follow her dreams and currently this certainly isn’t what she had always dreamed of. The thought of opening the place she and Angel talked about always felt…right to her. Like it was all she wanted in life besides finding someone who she could spend the rest of her life with. She could see it in Angel’s eyes that her friend was becoming sick and tired of working at the bar and grill. However it’s a job and it pays the bills right now; especially since the customers tip rather well.

Sighing, Juliette, shook her head and realized that she’s been in the bath for well over half-an-hour. The water has cooled and isn’t as nice as it had been when she got in. Turning off the jets, she pulled the stopper to drain the water before standing up. Shivers wracked her body as the cool air clung to her damp skin. Making a careful but quick dash to her shower, she hurriedly turned on the water and sighed in relief as it quickly warmed and heated her back up. She took her time in the shower, cleaning off the lingering feeling of grime, smoke and sweat from work before turning off the water and wrapping herself in a rather large, fluffy towel. After drying herself off, she wrapped her hair in another towel to dry it before walking out of the bathroom after extinguishing the candles and turning off the wax warmer. Humming softly, she was soon dressed in a pair of fuzzy, cat pajama pants and a matching shirt. She soon dried off her hair and brushed it before heading out of her room and into the kitchen.

“Shade, what did I tell you about jumping on the furniture?”She asked, narrowing her eyes when she saw the dog lying on the sectional.

Shade whined and jumped off, looking guilty as he slowly slunk over to her. Juliette held a stern glare at the dog for a minute longer before sighing and reaching down to scratch behind his ear. Once Shade’s tail began wagging, she pulled her hand back and washed her hands in the sink.

“I know you miss your mom but she’s got some time to go before she gets home.”She said, opening the fridge and frowning when she saw how low they are getting on food.

-Alright, shopping trip tomorrow.-She mused, bending down and pulling out a packet of hamburger.

As she made a rather thick patty, she whistled softly and thought about her cousin. Bethany was a sweet girl and she got along rather well with her surprisingly. In fact, besides her own parents and Bethany’s father, she got along well with her other relatives. None of them knew what happened, of course, only that something had made her uncle Sebastian snap and take her in. She wasn’t sure what story her parents gave her other relatives as to why they didn’t fight her uncle and actually allowed her to leave, but she knew that they wouldn’t tell the truth. After all, it wasn’t considered ‘proper’ to physically abuse your own daughter/niece just because she’s different, now is it? Scoffing, she shook her head and pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. She had long since cut her parents out of her life and she has no reason to think about them now.

The apartment was soon filled with the sound and delicious smell of hamburger cooking as Juliette made her dinner. While the burger cooked, she grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry along with a plate. She dumped a good portion of chips onto the plate before pulling out a Strawberry wine cooler. She knew that the taste of the burger will clash, but she doesn’t want plain soda, water and milk. Besides, if she didn’t start drinking her wine coolers than Angel will and the redhead has said that she’s been eyeing them lately. Once the burger was finished and she had it on a bun with an obscene amount of ketchup on it, she carried her meal and drink to the recliner and sank down into the comfy seat. A blissful noise escaped her as she flipped up the arm rests and set the drink into the cup holder after unscrewing the top off. Reaching down with one hand, she brought up the footrest and snagged the remote from the small side table.

Shade walked over just as she turned on the T.V. and put his head on her lower leg, whimpering softly as he looked from the burger to Juliette. Trixie simply headed over to her cat stand and jumped up onto the top ‘landing’ where she lay down and closed her eyes. Soon, Juliette had settled on an old episode of Ghost Adventures which was one of her favorite shows. Settling down, she eagerly devoured her burger and chips, feeling herself fully relax and let the worries and stress of work leave her. She made a mental note to compile a list of what they needed from the store and tomorrow she’ll see if Angel will let her borrow the truck. She didn’t feel like taking a taxi or using her bike. She knew that she’d be buying too much to use her bike anyway. Angel was pretty good about letting her use the truck, especially since she hasn’t gotten into an accident or pulled over since she had gotten her license when she was sixteen.

After finishing her dinner, she set her plate and now empty bottle on the side table and watched as the next show began. Smiling, she was glad that it was another show that she loved, and a new season at that! Reaching down the side of the chair, her hand soon connected with the small basket that she and Angel had set there and filled with throw blankets. She snagged one of the blankets and was soon burrowed underneath in, sighing in happiness as she was soon in a cocoon of warmth and contentedness. At some point she extracted herself from the chair and rinsed her plate, the bottle and the frying pan she used and put them into the dishwasher. She soon had the dishwasher running and looked through the pantry, cupboards and fridge while writing down what they needed from the store. She also stopped in the bathrooms and made note that Angel’s shampoo and conditioner was getting low and she was on her last razor head.

“Okay, I’ll definitely need the truck tomorrow.”She muttered, looking down at her long list.

She and Angel tried to keep back on how much they ate out, which meant they went through food a lot quicker. It also didn’t help that Angel often had her boyfriend: Spencer, over for days at a time. She didn’t mind really, especially since he was kind enough to help out around the apartment by cleaning, cooking and even pitching in for groceries. Spencer is a nice guy and she was glad that Angel has finally found someone who treats her right. All of Angel’s past boyfriends had been assholes who only wanted one thing from her and took advantage of the fact that she has a truck and was working in a restaurant. They also kept trying to monopolize their times with Angel by keeping her friend away from her. She can understand couples wanting to spend some time alone together, but she had overheard one of Angel’s former boyfriends demanding that she be kicked out of the apartment until he’s gone. Angel had smacked him and broken up with the ass then and there before kicking him out of the apartment. Spencer, on the other hand, is more than happy to spend time with both of them and even suggested doing activities together. She counted the man as one of her friends and was more than happy to spend time with them once they finished their date or after they spent time together.

-Enough of this mushy thinking!-Juliette thought, shaking her head before focusing back on her program.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Juliette sighed as she pushed the cart through the many aisles of Walmart. Angel had come in last night after work dead tired and stressed out. Apparently she had dealt with several drunk customers who all attempted to flirt with her and she had to practically scream at Markus, the assistant manager, to throw them out because one even swatted her butt as she walked by. When Angel collapsed onto the couch, she had instantly gotten up and made her friend/roommate a hearty burger and a wine cooler. Angel had looked like she was going to cry at the sight of the food and drink, but had gratefully devoured her meal. Then she had to practically carry her friend into her room bathroom where she drew a hot bath for Angel and left so Angel could make use of her jet-tub. It wasn’t often that Angel asked to use her bathroom but she could tell that her friend needed the soothing massage that the jets offered to help calm her down.

When Angel had finally come out an hour later they talked about shopping and what they needed from the store, in which Angel practically tossed the keys to ‘the beast’ at her and demanded she use the truck instead of calling a cab. In the morning she had asked Angel if she wanted her to take her to work, but Angel claimed that, since it’s actually nice out, she can walk to work. When she left the apartment Angel was still eating breakfast and watching T.V., though she knew that her friend will be gone by the time she get home.

“Alright…hot chocolate mix…wait? What?”Juliette asked, frowning as she looked at her list.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw that the item had obviously been added by Angel. Sorting softly, she shook her head fondly and turned down the proper aisle. She will never understand how Angel can drink hot chocolate when it’s not cold enough. She, herself, only really drank the wonderful drink when it began snowing out. Angel, however, seems to have no problem drinking hot chocolate even in the middle of summer. Looking around, Juliette soon spotted the boxes of hot chocolate…on the top two shelves…

“Great.”She moaned, sighing as she bowed her head before stepping up to the shelves.

If there is one thing she hates the most about being five foot, two, it’s how tall everything else. Most of the stores have products that ‘normal’ people should be able to reach with only slight stretching. Meanwhile, here she is straining and struggling to get products from shelves that others wouldn’t have any trouble getting. Reaching up, a soft grunt left her as her fingertips barely grazed the offending box she needed. Huffing, Juliette looked around and scowled when she saw that there was no one else in her aisle and there were no employees around either. Letting out another sigh, she mentally debated on leaving that product off of her list, but instantly dismissed the thought. Angel hadn’t asked for too much in way of treats or anything special _besides_ the hot chocolate and not getting it would make her feel like a heel, especially when her friend had allowed her to take her truck. Turning to the offending product, she narrowed her eyes and, placing one hand on a lower shelf, rose up onto her tip-toes and stretched her arm up as much as she could.

A sound of frustration left her when she accidently pushed the box further away from herself. Falling back to her normal stance, she glared at the box of hot chocolate before a presence came up behind her. Before she could even think about turning around, a skeletal hand reached over her right shoulder and snagged the box of hot chocolate. Whirling around, Juliette’s eyes widened when she saw the shorter of the two skeletons that she had seen yesterday at Vixen’s café. However, instead of his hood being down, it was pulled up and over his skull, hiding most of his head from sight except for his face.

“I saw you strugglin’ and thought you needed some help.”He said, shrugging lightly as he held out the box.

“Huh?...Oh! T-Thank you!”Juliette said, flushing as she gratefully accepted the box and put it into her cart.

Sans grinned as he watched the woman hurriedly mark something off of the list that was sitting in the basket of her cart. He had come to the store to pick up a few things for himself and Papyrus and had walked past the aisle when he saw her struggling to reach the hot chocolate. It had been slightly amusing watching her attempt to reach the simple product, but after a few seconds he knew he had to help her. There were a few employees around, but none of them were close by to help her and he knew that most people would just ignore her or would laugh and even make fun of her as they walked by. However, being so close to her he could feel…something resonating inside her that was familiar. Something that made his soul stir inside of him and had nearly drawn out his magic. It was slightly alarming, yes, but at the same time it made him wonder why that was happening.

“So, you a friend of Vixen’s?”He asked, watching as the woman blinked and looked at him with surprise and a hint of suspicion.

“I guess. I mean, I met her by going to her café often enough.”She answered, shrugging a shoulder as Sans nodded lightly.

“Why do you ask?”

“Just wonderin’. You don’t see too many humans hanging around businesses run by monsters.”He said, watching as Juliette huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Which is completely stupid. Yes, sometimes monsters have…surprising appearances but that doesn’t mean they’re bad or stupid. I know a lot more humans who have an ugly and horrible personality even though they’re completely beautiful or handsome.”She said, rolling her eyes as Sans raised an eyebrow.

Juliette blinked when she saw the action, watching as the ridge line where his eyebrows ‘should’ be lifted. Seeing him talk and gesture was rather…fascinating honestly. She’s never seen a skeleton monster before and from what she could see of his lowers legs he appears to be built pretty similarly to a human. Mentally shaking herself, she felt her face heat up when she caught his wide grin; realizing that he must have caught her staring at him. Shifting slightly, she gave him a faint smile before grabbing the handle of her cart.

“Well….t-thanks again for helping me. I should get back to my shopping.”She said, the monster nodding lightly.

“Alright, see ya.”He said, giving her a small wave before heading back down the aisle and turning a corner.

Shaking her head, Juliette turned back to the cart and continued on with her shopping. She ended up snagging a small watermelon and some apples, though she grumbled about the prices of them. She and Angel are trying to eat healthier so they were constantly looking for different fruits and veggies that peeked their interests. Moving to the meats, she grumbled about the prices as well, though stocked up on what they needed none-the-less. She already knew that Kroger’s wasn’t having a sale on their meat and so they were close to the same price. She also stocked up on veggies, other foods and items for their pets. Halfway through her shopping journey, Angel called and told her about several items that they’re low on that hadn’t made it onto the list. She caught sight of a few monsters shopping as well, and even smiled at a small family of fish monsters as they walked by in the personal care section of the store.

After an hour of shopping, she was finally able to make her way to the checkout lanes. Sadly, most of them had long lines of people and monsters wanting to check out. Groaning lightly, Juliette walked back and forth in front of the lanes before finally choosing one that wasn’t too busy. However, she had a feeling that it wasn’t too busy because there were three monsters waiting in line. She certainly noticed the displeased look on the cashiers face as she rang up the purchases of a rabbit monster. Looking at the other customers in the line, she easily figured out that the monsters were mostly gathering in that lane to provide support for the others. It was a smart move; something that she agreed with wholeheartedly. She smiled at the two monsters in front of her, to which they blinked before smiling slightly back at her. She had never seen their…species before. They look like a cross between a large bird and a snowflake given the intricate patterns of their heads and she could feel a chill emanating from them. She didn’t blame them for being cautious around her especially since the cashier was refusing the make conversation with the others and was even glaring at them.

“Shopping for the family?”One of the monsters asked, looking at her full cart.

“No, just myself and my roommate. We’ve practically run out of everything in our apartment.”She said, one of the monsters nodding in understanding.

“I-If you don’t mind me asking, but what species are you? I’ve never seen a monster like you before.”She said, her voice soft as she looked at the floor in hesitation.

“It’s okay dearie. My husband and I are Snowdrakes. We normally live in colder areas but we’re visiting a few friends of ours.”The smaller monster explained, Juliette looking at them with interest.

“We have a lovely home in Alaska. It’s the perfect temperature there for us all-year-round.”The male said, smiling brightly at his wife as she beamed at him.

“That’s great to hear. I’m Juliette by the way.”She said, holding out her hand towards the couple.

“It’s nice to meet you dearie. I’m Crystal.”The female said, holding out a wing and shaking Juliette’s hand.

“And I’m Blitz.”The male added, shaking Juliette’s hand as well after his wife let go.

“It’s nice to meet you and I hope I didn’t offend you by asking what species you are.”Juliette said, making Crystal and Blitz shake their heads as they stepped forward in line.

“Not at all. It’s refreshing, actually.”Blitz said, helping his wife in adding their things to the counter.

The cashier frowned at them, though she looked at Juliette with surprise. Juliette simply raised an eyebrow, silently daring the other woman to say something. She had no tolerance for monsterphobes and if people wanted to get snippy with her for making pleasant conversation with monster then they could go screw themselves. After the couple had their things on the counter, she snagged the divider and began loading her own groceries onto the counter, smiling and making small talk with Crystal as the cashier rang up their purchases and Blitz put bags into the cart. She learned that they recently got married and have been together since before the barrier to the underground was broken. Crystal happily talked about a town in the underground called Snowdin, in which Juliette asked plenty of questions. She was rather sad to hear about some of the hardships the couple suffered; such as overcrowding and never having seen the actual sky.

When she asked how they were going to be getting their things to their friend’s house. Crystal happily informed her that they’re able to carry a great amount of weight and they’ll be flying back to their friend’s house by clutching the bags in their talons. The cashier snorted softly when she heard this, though she instantly looked away when Juliette glared at her. Surprisingly, even after their items were bagged and paid for, Crystal and Blitz stayed and talked with her while her own items were rung up. Juliette had a great time talking with the couple, which was surprising since she was always rather shy around others and never really opened up and talked with people for more than a few seconds let alone a few minutes. She quickly paid for her groceries after loading the bags into her cart. The couple happily decided to walk outside with her and even walked with her to the truck.

“Oh! Is that yours?”Crystal asked, her eyes wide when she saw the dark blue truck.

“Actually, it’s my roommates. Angel got this thing when she turned twenty. We affectionately call it the beast.”Juliette said, opening the hatch of the truck and beginning to shove the bags inside after tying them so nothing will spill out.

“Isn’t it…difficult to drive?”Blitz asked, eyeing the height of the truck and Juliette.

“It was at first, but the driver’s seat is adjustable so I can drive just fine. It had taken a little while to get used to at first but Angel was a good teacher when she got me used to driving it.”She answered, hopping up into the bed of the truck once all the bags were inside.

She was grateful for the netting attachment Angel had bought so it would help keep everything secure and reduce the chance of things rolling around and flying out. Blitz and Crystal watched her with interest and Blitz even ‘fluttered’ up into the bed to help her out by using his wings and talons to move things around under her instruction. Once she was done, they both hopped down and Juliette closed the hatch before helping the couple pull their bags out of their cart and set them down so they’ll be able to grasp them with the talons. She offered to put their cart away, to which they thanked her before hovering in the air. They easily grabbed all of the bags and said their goodbyes, thanking her for her kindness and help. Juliette blushed lightly and smiled at the pair. Waving, she watched as they took off through the air before taking the carts to the cart return.

Returning to the truck, she unlocked the door and hefted herself up into the driver’s seat with a soft ‘oomph’. Adjusting the seat and ensuring the mirrors were where they needed to be, she started the truck and pulled out of her spot. She had to wait for a few people to cross the lot before she was finally able to get out of there. What she failed to notice, however, was a pair of pupils watching her. They tracked the truck until it pulled out of the lot before finally turning away.

“She’s certainly interesting.”Sans mused, turning around with his bags in hand.

His eye flared bright cyan as he drew out his magic. With nary a sound he disappeared from the parking lot.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-


	2. An unknown hero and a chat with a skeleton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Presenting chapter two! I have to say, I had small hopes for this story since I’m writing it as a way to hopefully do away with my writers block on my other stories. However, it’s blossomed inside my head into this…this huge story with plenty of action, romance, angst, and enough fluff that’ll rot your teeth. Now, there won’t be any action between Sans and Juliette of the romantic kind for quite some time yet. Her past was a very troubled one and she’s only spoken to him a few times thus far. Don’t worry though, it’ll come and develop in time; just like a relationship should. You’ll be seeing a lot more of Angel in this chapter and throughout the rest of the story she’ll be playing an important part. I do hope you enjoy!  
> Second Note: Angel and Juliette’s relationship is a very, very close one. Angel is actually based on one of my close and best friends. I bet many(or most) of you have a friend like this. One who doesn’t care about personal boundaries and would walk around naked in front of you because you’re just that comfortable around each other and they’ve told practically every detail about their sex lives even though you didn’t ask or necessarily want them to. She is a wonderful woman and I love her dearly. I have no idea if she’ll read this but if so: I love you girl!  
> Dedications: I would like to dedicate this story to rosesandspades713 for her wonderful story ‘tonight I’ll need you to stay’. I highly recommend you read it as it is a wonderful Sans/Reader story that made me squee a lot!
> 
> -Thoughts-  
> Text  
> [Signing]  
> Emphasis on words

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Juliette thoroughly enjoyed having two days off from work. She got to lounge around in the apartment in her pajamas and not have to worry about dealing with stupid, racist customers and co-workers. She also ventured out a few times to the local, small bookstore to purchase a few new books, in which she nearly did a happy dance right there in the aisles when she saw a new book had been released in the Iron Druid series. The elderly woman who owns the bookstore had a knowing smile as she hurried to the counter to purchase the books, in which she blushed and avoided making eye contact with the woman. She also cleaned the apartment from top to bottom; in which Angel happily helped out when she was able to. Spencer also dropped by and all three of them hung out before Angel had to go to work. She also groomed both Trixie and Shade; both of which had enough loose fur to create another dog and cat.

Angel complained about work and how it was becoming increasingly hard to remain there without giving into the urge to smack or punch one of their co-workers or boss. Juliette agreed completely, though both of them knew it would be hard to find jobs right now. All of the college kids are going back to school yes, but with the influx of monsters moving to their city jobs were scarce at the moment. They both noticed new shops and businesses popping up like Lace and Silk Bakery which is run by a rather pretty, though slightly intimidating spider monster. Both she and Angel fell in love with the woman’s sweets, though, and the woman: Miss Muffet, relaxed around them when she realized that neither of them have any problems with spiders or monsters. A small grocery store also popped up in the main part of the downtown area and sold monster food like Nice Crème, Monster Candy and other foods that were hard for monsters to acquire.

They also noticed that someone had bought out an old, small restaurant and there was a sign stating that New Grillby’s will be open before Christmas. The monsters that they saw in Vixen’s café and walking around the area seemed very happy at this so they were quickly able to figure out that this Grillby person was someone who had been very popular underground. Juliette also made sure to continue to get out and go on walks and skate through the downtown area and the park. Angel warned her not to go out on her walks so late, but there was something comforting about wandering around at night where there weren’t any crowds or screaming children at the park. Yes, there were some groups of teens wandering around with their friends and joking around and the occasional drunk who stumbled past, but she hasn’t come across any problems since that one time last year. However, on Saturday evening after dark, that all changed as she slowly skated down the sidewalk towards the soon to be new restaurant.

Juliette hummed softly, listening to the sound of the wheels of her skates on the concrete sidewalk. However, above that sound she could hear the faint sounds of people talking. While this wasn’t new to her, what was alarming was when she heard a female stammering; fright in her voice. Instantly, she slowed down, narrowing her eyes as she drew closer to the spacious alley between New Grillby’s and a clothing shop.

“P-P-Please, w-we d-d-don’t want a-any t-t-tr-trouble.”The female voice stammered, fear and anxiousness in her voice.

“If you didn’t want any trouble then you should’ve stayed in the underground you freak.”A man snapped, the anger and hatred dripping from his voice as Juliette froze.

“And _you_. Are humans not _good_ enough for you? How could you betray your own kind?!”Another man asked, making Juliette narrow her eyes.

“F-F-Frisk helped u-us. P-Please j-just let u-us pass.”The female stammered, her voice rising in pitch.

Juliette heard the scuffling of feet before the sound of trash cans being knocked over made her jump into action. Moving swiftly, she skated quickly to the entrance of the alley, her eyes widening as she turned and stopped at the entrance. A short, female monster that looks like either a type of lizard or dinosaur dressed in a red shirt, pants and glasses stood in front of a rather young looking child. The child has shoulder length brown hair and deep brown eyes that currently looked rather fearful. The child is dressed in a deep blue and purple striped shirt, jeans and shoes. She couldn’t blame the child or monster for looking rather frightened. Three men stood in front of them and Juliette could practically smell the booze coming from them all the way from where she was standing. However, what really angered her was the sight of the knives in the men’s hands, the blades glinting in the streetlamp behind her.

“Let’s put these two _freaks_ in their place.”One of the men spat, causing the monster to boldly move in front of the child even though she was trembling in obvious fright.

The child shivered in fear, though those brown eyes glanced around the alley before spotting Juliette. When she saw the fear and the plea for help in those eyes…something snapped inside of her. Her vision shifted as power flared through her. The child’s look morphed from fear to shock and awe though some of that fear remained. Stepping forward, her hands balled into fists and the men whirled around when they heard her skates clicking on the pavement.

“What do you want, girl?”One of the men asked, though he and his companions suddenly jerked back in fear as she bared her teeth at them.

“ _You shouldn’t have threatened them._ ”

-Ten minutes earlier-

Frisk sighed silently as he followed Alphys down the sidewalk. They were heading to Vixen’s Café to meet up with Undyne and Sans. Toriel hadn’t been too sure when he asked to go, but Alphys had promised to keep an eye on him. Honestly! He’s been through the entire underground on his _own_! Okay, yes, he’s only ten years old, but still! Even though she smothered him, Frisk couldn’t help but smile as he thought of the monster who he thought of as his mother. His own parents had died a long time ago and the orphanage where he had been at wasn’t a very nice place. Heck, they hadn’t even noticed when he had gone missing for two weeks when he had fallen into the underground. Shaking his head, he hurried over to Alphys and took her hand into his, making the shy scientist look down at him and smile. He thought she looked rather nice considering he’s still getting used to seeing her in something other than a lab coat.

“I-It’ll be okay, Frisk. The streets are pretty w-well lit.”She said, Frisk nodding his head in agreement.

_[I know.]_ He signed, making the woman smile at him.

He knew that Toriel was worried about monster haters. South Lyon was still one of the cities in Michigan that doesn’t have a very high monster population. It was also filled with people who dislike monsters or are uneasy around them still. One of the reasons why he’s there is because he and Asgore are planning on meeting with mayor John Galeas about improving relations between humans and monsters. They were all pleased that more and more stores and restaurants are becoming monster friendly. He also noticed Muffet’s and Burgerpants’ new stores. It is now known that humans are able to eat monster food without any repercussions. While the items greatly healed monsters, he knew from experience that they also worked on humans from his own journey through the underground. He was glad that things are improving for monsters, though it’ll take a while longer before humans aren’t so nervous around monsters.

Frisk was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when Alphys squeezed his hand tightly. Blinking, he looked around and instantly spotted what was wrong. They had just passed a bar and grill and were getting close to the location of New Grillby’s and a group of three men were following them a few feet behind. It was obvious that the men were drunk as all three of them were stumbling and staggering as they walked. Alphys nervously looked over her shoulder, worry and slight fear in her eyes. She sped up slightly, Frisk having to jog beside her to keep up with her increased paced. However, the men simply let out cruel laughs and sped up as well.

Looking around, Alphys spotted a spacious alley and pulled Frisk into it. She knew from Sans that the downtown area has interconnecting alleys that sometimes led to areas where people could sit down and relax away from the bustle of the street. However, she stopped short when she saw a dumpster blocking the way and the fact that the alley was enclosed. The light dimmed in the alley, making the pair spin around and face the three men. Frisk swallowed nervously, pressing close to Alphys when he saw the anger and hatred in the men’s eyes.

-Sans, Undyne! Where are you?-He thought, wishing that his friends was there with them.

He knew that Sans and Undyne would never let anyone hurt them. Both of them are strong and rather intimidating when any of their friends are threatened. However, they are still a block or so away from the café and the pair was expecting them to arrive any time now. Swallowing nervously, he watched as Alphys slowly inched towards him while pushing him behind her.

“P-P-Please, w-we d-d-don’t want a-any t-t-tr-trouble.”Alphys stammered, struggling to push down her fear as the three men sneered at her.

“If you didn’t want any trouble then you should’ve stayed in the underground you freak.”the leader snapped, the anger and hatred dripping from his voice as Frisk clutched the back of Alphys’ shirt.

“And _you_. Are humans not _good_ enough for you? How could you betray your own kind?!”the second man snapped, narrowing his eyes as Frisk looked at him with wide eyes.

“F-F-Frisk helped u-us. P-Please j-just let u-us pass.”Alphys begged, her voice rising as the leader pulled out what looked like a police baton.

She instantly caught sight of the knives that the other two men pulled out and felt fear grip her heart. She was no fighter and had no magic that she could use to defend herself and Frisk. If anything happened to Frisk she would never forgive herself. Toriel had put her in charge of watching over him and keeping him safe and here they are, cornered by three men who look like they’re ready to rip them apart simply because Frisk is a human who is friends with monsters.

“Let’s put these two _freaks_ in their place.”One of the men spat, causing Alphys’ eyes to widen in fear and shock.

She hurriedly pushed Frisk behind her, spreading her arms out to defend him with her own body. Behind her, Frisk clutched onto Alphys’ shirt, his heart pounding in his chest as he heard the men stalk closer towards them. Alphys ushered Frisk back, knocking into a few trash cans behind them. Frisk stumbled slightly and squeezed his eyes shut as he clung to Alphys’ back. However…the sound of wheels skating across the ground carried over to him and he dared to open his eyes and peer around Alphys. There, silhouetted against the streetlamp, is a small woman wearing skates. However, he was shocked when he saw that her eyes seemed to be glowing in the dim light. The men whirled around as well and sneered at the woman as she narrowed their eyes at her.

“What do you want, girl?”The leader sneered, though his eyes widened when the woman’s right eye suddenly flared silver.

“ _You shouldn’t have threatened them._ ”The woman growled, her voice filled with anger, disgust and raw power.

Frisk stared at the woman in shock, awe and slight fear. Silver tendrils came from her eye, looking much like flames licking the side of her face. Her hands clenched and glowed silver as the feeling of magic filled the air. Frisk heard Alphys gasp; knowing that she had spotted the woman too. The three men nervously took a step back, but when the woman lifted her hand, Frisk knew it was all over for the men. A silver glow surrounded one of the men before he was flung into his two companions, causing them to hit the ground with cries of shock and pain. All three of them were suddenly picked up and thrown against the wall, causing Alphys to grab Frisk and hunch down with him in her arms as the men went flying around the alley hitting the walls before they were flung over their heads. However, Frisk never took his eyes off the strange woman. She moved her hands with deadly accuracy and skill as if she were a conductor and her magic was her instruments.

The sound of the men being thrown into the dumpster behind them caused Frisk to blink. The lid slamming shut and the faint groans of pain coming from inside the now closed dumpster caused Alphys to open her eyes and slowly stand up straight. She turned, wide eyed, towards their savior, watching as the silver glow slowly vanished and the woman’s eye returned to normal. The woman seemed to shake herself before taking a step back as if she just realized what she had done.

“W-Wait!”Alphys cried, her eyes wide as the woman suddenly turned and took off.

Racing towards the front of the alley, Alphys and Frisk rapidly looked around in hopes of catching another glimpse of their savoir. However, the woman had vanished and instead, they turned towards the sound of someone calling their names. Undyne and Sans hurried towards them from across the street, worry etched into Undyne’s features as she looked at them. Even Sans looked worried as he hurried towards them, something that Frisk never really saw before besides when he fought against Flowey.

“What the hell happened?!”Undyne demanded, her yellow eyes scanning Alphys quickly for any sign of an injury while Sans looked at them closely.

“I felt a huge amount of magic come from here.”He explained, his voice tight as he looked towards the alley behind them.

Alphys stammered slightly as she told the pair what had happened seconds ago. Both Undyne and Sans were angered when they learned of the men who had cornered them; Sans’ pupils vanishing as his anger spiked while Undyne balled her hands into fists and bared her teeth. However, when they heard about a seemingly _human_ woman using magic, they froze and stared at Alphys in shock.

“Y-You must’ve been imagining things, babe. Humans don’t have magic. They haven’t since monsters were first sealed in the underground.”Undyne said, looking at Alphys in concern.

_[She’s telling the truth! It was a human girl. She looked like you, Sans, when you use magic. Her right eye glowed silver and seemed to have flames coming from it while a silver glow incased her hands.]_ Frisk rapidly signed, the skeleton looking at him sharply.

“If there is a human who can use magic, we have to tell Tori and Asgore. There’s no telling what that human can do.”Sans said, Alphys nodding her head as she played with her hands.

_[But she helped us. She was so mad when she saw them threatening us. I don’t think she wants to hurt anyone. Those men were just tossed around and thrown into the dumpster. She got frightened when she realized what she had done.]_ Frisk signed, Sans and Undyne looking at each other.

“We still need to tell them, squirt. There hasn’t been a human with magic for hundreds of years. Do you remember anything about her?”Undyne asked, looking from Frisk to her girlfriend.

“She was short…and has dark eyes. I think she also has dark hair. It was too hard to tell. The streetlamp was behind her so most of her face was cast in shadows. I know she wears glasses.”Alphys muttered, Frisk nodding his head rapidly.

“Not much to go on…”Undyne muttered, Sans nodding lightly.

“C’mon. Let’s get out of here.”Sans said, the others nodding before they began walking down the sidewalk.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

Juliette panted and struggled for breath as she raced through the streets. She was practically flying across the ground by the time she turned into the apartment complex. Her left eye has seemingly ‘vanished’ into a black void as her right eye continuously glowed a dim silver color. Drawing on her magic, she pumped it through her body, increasing her speed and ‘jumping’ from shadow to shadow to get home quicker. She couldn’t _believe_ she had snapped like that! And in front of others too! In her minds eye she kept seeing the shock and slight fear in the child’s eyes as they watched her. She saw the way the female monster had shielded the child as she flung those men around the alley before finally throwing them into the dumpster. She had no idea if the pair had seen her and the direction she took off in; hopefully she had been quick enough in getting away.

-It’s over. It’s all over. All that work in keeping it a secret. They know. They know and I’ll be hunted.-She thought, fear coursing through her as she made it to her apartment building and sprinted up the stairs.

She practically ripped the door off its hinges, causing Angel to shriek in fright. Angel’s eyes widened when her friend flew into the apartment, the door swinging as Juliette tore through the apartment and disappeared down the hallway. Jumping to her feet, she ran over to the door and closed it, locking the door with the knob lock and the dead bolt. Worry and fear coursed through her, knowing that _something_ had happened to scare Juliette. Rushing through the apartment, Shade was hot on her heels as she hurried down the hallway and towards Juliette’s room. However, she stopped when she saw the bright silver light coming from underneath her friend’s bedroom door. A humming and tingling sensation caressed her as she neared the door, making Shade whine softly and step back. Swallowing thickly, she walked over to the door and knocked on it lightly, listening closely for any response.

“Jules? Jules, what happened? Are you okay?”She called, worry in her voice as she tried the doorknob and found it unlocked.

Stepping into the room, Angel gasped at what she saw. The room was illuminated by Juliette’s eye, the ‘flame’ burning brightly as the woman’s magic pulsed and raced through the room. Stepping forward, her heart broke inside her chest at the sight of tears streaming down her friend’s face. She didn’t hesitate in stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Juliette, sinking to the ground as the smaller and younger woman clung to her and cried. Cooing at her friend, Angel ran her fingers through Juliette’s hair, feeling the woman’s magic course through her body harmlessly. The pulsing magic slowly but steadily slowed and dimmed over the course of ten minutes before the room was only lit by the light of the moon peeking through the window.

“Jules, what happened?”Angel asked, concern in her voice as she held her friend.

“I-It’s over…”Juliette hiccupped, making Angel frown.

“What do you mean?”

“I-I used my magic in fr-front of others.”Juliette stammered, her body shaking in fear as Angel continued to calm her.

“What happened? I know you wouldn’t use your magic in public unless you had to.”Angel reasoned, feeling Juliette’s fingers tighten on her shirt.

“T-There were three drunk men. They cornered a female monster and…and ambassador Frisk in an alley. They were threatening them and pulled out weapons to attack them when I showed up. S-Seeing them…seeing how scared the monster and Frisk was…I-I snapped!”Juliette whispered, fear and shock settling in her voice as Angel scowled at the thought of the three men.

“What did you do to them?”She asked, pushing down her own urge to find those men and beat the shit out of them.

“I-I tossed them around the alley before th-throwing them into the dumpster. I ran as soon as I realized what I did.”Juliette answered, Angel listening with rapt attention.

“Did anyone follow you?”Angel asked, trying to find out what exactly made her friend fear that things were ending.

“…I…I don’t think so. They…they looked so scared of me.”Juliette muttered, her voice hoarse from crying.

“I didn’t see anyone following you, Jules. Besides, you said that you protected a monster and Frisk, the ambassador. I doubt that they would hunt you down and try to hurt you. I also doubt that they’re scared of you. That female monster probably has seen magic like yours before; same with Ambassador Frisk. I think they were scared because of what those men might have done to them if you hadn’t shown up. You _saved_ them, Jules.”Angel said, smiling gently as Juliette finally stopped crying and just held her.

Juliette slowly calmed down, feeling completely drained physically, emotionally and magically. She barely registered when Angel managed to pick her up, though she shifted when her friend laid her down on her bed. Angel carefully removed Juliette’s skates from her feet before wrestling the rest of her friend’s clothes from her. Once Juliette was finally out of her jeans and shirt, she tossed the dirty clothes into the hamper and walked out of the room, keeping it cracked open. Trixie hurried into the bedroom as soon as she walked into the hallway, making Angel smile softly as she watched the cat. Shaking her head, she walked to the living room and sat down heavily on the couch. Shade walked over and rested his head on her knee, closing his eyes as she lightly rubbed his head.

“Oh, Shade.”She sighed, closing her eyes as she thought about her friend.

She had met Juliette in Juliette’s freshmen year of high school and she had been in her sophomore year. There had been something about the shy and socially awkward girl. She had sat down next to her during lunch and it hadn’t taken long for them to become friends. It had taken her two years to get Juliette used to being hugged, snuggled with and even touched normally. When Juliette had finally opened up about her childhood and explained that her father and father’s brother had abused her physically and emotionally, she had been absolutely enraged and had wanted to go to the police. However, the sheer fear and panic in Juliette’s eyes had stopped her and Juliette hurriedly explained that she didn’t want to get the police involved because then her secret would be known and she was terrified that she would be taken away and experimented on. Of course that had led to another long discussion which ended in Angel learning that her best friend, her sister in all but blood, can use magic.

Of course she had been shocked but instead of freaking out, she just asked question after question about what her friend can do. She learned that Juliette’s magic allowed her to move objects around, increased her strength, speed and senses along with allowing her to ‘jump’ from shadow to shadow and she could even draw shadows around herself to hide. Juliette further explained that her father and uncle began abusing her because of her magic, which is why she didn’t want anyone to know about the abuse, especially the police. Angel understood of course. There hasn’t been a human magic user since the monsters were last sealed in the underground and the government would want to know how she has magic when others don’t. Juliette also explained that her father and uncle had always suspected that her mother had cheated on her father with a humanoid monster who had escaped getting sealed. Of course her parents were never able to prove if she was half-monster or just a human with magic and Angel honestly wanted to keep it that way.

Honestly, she wanted Juliette to practice using her magic more often. She knew that Juliette had learned how to control her magic thanks to her uncle and her uncle would most likely throw a fit if he saw that his niece was hardly using her magic now. Of course she understands that there isn’t really a safe place for her to practice freely. Also, there was the risk of someone seeing Juliette using her magic and they would freak out and hurt her. Angel has seen her meditating, in which she allows her magic to spread out from her body. Apparently it’s one of the ways she is able to keep such a tight control on her magic so it won’t randomly lash out and accidently harm anyone. While the feeling of Juliette’s magic brushing against and even through her had been disorientating at first, it is now a comfort really. It resonated in her very soul and made her feel…alive in a way.

A whine from Shade broke Angel out of her thoughts and she smiled down at her dog. Lightly scratching behind his ears, Shade leaned into her hand, panting happily as his tail wagged a mile a minute.

“What, boy? Should we go on a w-a-l-k tomorrow?”She asked, grinning as Shade’s ears perked up as he tilted his head at her.

Standing up, she turned off the T.V. and walked to the window, opening the blinds enough to look outside at the dimly lit street. Angel knew that, sooner or later, someone will discover Juliette’s secret. She just hoped that, whoever it is that did, they will be understanding and accept her. It was one of the main reasons why her friend has such a hard time being in relationships. She feared telling others her secret and said that it didn’t feel right when she was with someone without being able to tell them the truth. Angel understood her perfectly. Spencer, while he is a truly wonderful man, she hasn’t told him everything about her just yet. She knew he was most likely in love with her, but she wasn’t sure if he was…the one…he was kind, yes and he treated her right and had readily accepted her close friendship with Juliette. However, whenever she talked about her and Juliette’s dream business, he would get this…look about him that said that he was indulging her in some childish dream that wouldn’t come to pass.

He was also talking about perhaps them moving into their own place together or her moving in with him into his mobile home. She repeatedly told him that she wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment with someone. The idea of leaving Juliette alone, leaving her and not knowing if she’s okay and not being able to check on her so easily made her sick. Yes, they were dependent on each other, but that’s because they knew that neither would betray the other. She knew that Juliette has her back and she has Juliette’s back. Yes, she knew that they would eventually move out and into their own places, but it just didn’t seem like the right time just yet. She wasn’t ready for marriage and didn’t feel like it’s the right time to move in with any kind boyfriend. Sadly, she could tell that Spencer is slowly getting impatient with her reluctance in moving out of the apartment. If he couldn’t handle the fact that she wasn’t ready then he really wasn’t the one for her. Undoubtedly Juliette would try to blame herself if they did break up, but she was determined not to let her friend do that to herself. It’s her own fault for not wanting to move in with her boyfriend, no one else’s.

Angel went to move away from the window before a light coming from the ground caught her attention. Her eye’s widened when she saw a monster made of flames walking across the lawn. She had never seen a flame monster and she was in awe over the orange, yellow and red flames that made up the monster’s humanoid body. Watching the monster move across the parking lot, she was rather interested to see them pick up a piece of garbage from the ground without it bursting into flames. Instantly she realized that the monster would have to be able to handle things without setting them on fire in order to move around and function normally. Looking around, she blinked when another flame monster, this one smaller and with faint curves, hurried over and the pair stopped and appeared to talk to each other.

“New neighbors?”She wondered, tilting her head to the side as the pair walked towards the apartment building across the lot from them; the garbage being incinerated in the taller monster’s hand.

Once the pair disappeared into one of the apartments on the first floor, Angel finally pulled away from the window and let the blinds fall back into place. Moving around the living room, she tidied up slightly; putting the blankets back into the basket, straightening the candles on the coffee table, putting the controllers to their PS4 away in the stand and so on. She refilled Shade’s and Trixie’s water bowl and added a small amount of the mixture that helps promote good breath and healthy teeth into the water. Shade walked over and instantly began drinking, making her chuckle at her dog. Shade always loved fresh water, especially when it’s cold. Heading to her room, she opened the door and flipped on the light. Her room has her full sized bed, two side tables, an entertainment stand with her T.V. on it along with her DVD player, a desk with her laptop on it and a beanbag chair at the foot of her bed. Her closet is open, revealing a short dresser where she put all of her clothing that didn’t need to be hung up. There was also a small bookcase inside her dresser filled with books and manga.

On her walls are posters of various movies, bands and anime, all framed so they wouldn’t be damaged. Framed photos of her parents and siblings rested on her side tables and on her desk, making her smile. Her mom has already invited her and Juliette over for Thanksgiving and she’s hoping that work will be closed that day. Her family loves Juliette, something that she was more than happy about. Her siblings loved it whenever Juliette came over and her parents had practically adopted her friend into the family. Juliette had practically cried when her parents told her that she was always welcome in the house, even when Angel wasn’t home. Angel knew how shocked and overwhelmed her friend felt at having her parents accept her so easily. It was one of the many things she loved about her parents. While they were hesitant around any new friends, they normally warmed up to her friends pretty quickly. With Juliette they had instantly fallen in love with her and were more than happy to have her around; including her siblings.

Moving over to her dresser, Angel quickly shed her clothing and changed into her pajamas before flicking off her light. Tomorrow Spencer is coming over and they’re planning on going to the movies and an amusement park. He had tried to make plans for Halloween already, but she reminded him that she and Juliette are already planning on going through Erebus on the Halloween as soon as it opens and already have tickets for it. However, she had encouraged him to come with, to which he promised to get his own ticket so he could join them. Flopping down onto her bed, she smiled as Shade trotted over and jumped onto her bed. The large dog walked over and laid down, pressed against her side with his head next to hers. Wrapping an arm around her furry companion, she soon fell asleep.

Throughout the night, Juliette tossed and turned in her sleep; dreaming of children running from her while others mocked her and called her a freak. She jerked awake at one in the morning after a nightmare of being locked inside a cage while people stood outside the cage while laughing and pointing at her. Shivering, she rolled out of her bed and walked into her bathroom to splash water on her face. Looking at herself in the dim light of a nightlight, she swallowed heavily as her eyes glowed softly in the dim light. Many people remarked how ‘put together’ she was, how she seemed unshakeable during certain situations. However, she knew the truth. Inside she was a terrible mess; constantly fearing her magic would escape her control or that people would betray her and turn on her at the drop of a hat.

It made her wonder what people saw when they looked at her in the eyes. They say that the eyes are the window to a person’s soul…did that mean that they could see how broken and shattered she actually is? Turning away from the mirror, she walked out of her bathroom and out to the hallway. Instead of heading to the kitchen or living room, she crept into Angel’s room, causing Shade to lift his head and look at her before letting his head drop back onto the bed. Juliette felt slightly guilty for needing to sleep in the same bed as her friend, but she and Angel have done it before whenever they had a particular bad night. She carefully climbed into the bed and settled down with her back pressed against Angel’s. Closing her eyes, she took comfort in the soft sounds of Angel’s snores and the warmth of her body. Within a few minutes she finally managed to slip into a slightly more restful sleep.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Frisk sighed softly as he finally sat down on the couch in his house. Toriel was in the kitchen making tea for him, Alphys, Sans and Undyne while they waited for Asgore and Papyrus to get here. When they had come home, Toriel had seen the scared and shaken look in Alphys’ eyes and had instantly ushered them inside before demanding what had happened. It also didn’t help that she had looked him over closely, checking for any kind of injury or bruise much to his embarrassment. It had taken some convincing to make her realize that he wasn’t hurt, but rather they were just shaken up and they would explain everything once everyone got there. Sans had taken that time to call his brother and told him to come over while Undyne called Asgore with the same message. There was no telling how the others will react to the news of a human having magic, but Frisk hoped that they wouldn’t want to do anything to the woman who had saved him and Alphys. He can already tell that Sans and Undyne are slightly worried about this knowledge and it worried him.

The front door opening made Frisk look up, to which he watched as Asgore and Papyrus walked into the room. Both of them look worried, especially when they saw the worried looks on Toriel’s face and the way Sans was shifting in his seat. Looking around, Frisk sighed silently once more as the others sat down and turned their attention towards him and Alphys. Alphys shifted uneasily beside Frisk, hating that all the attention was on her even though she knew this had to be done.

“What’s going on?”Asgore asked, his deep voice gentle and coaxing as he looked at the pair.

“W-W-We were th-threatened on our way to meet up with Sans and Undyne earlier.”Alphys stammered, blinking when Undyne gently took her hand and rubbed the back of it.

“What?! What happened?”Toriel asked, worry in her voice as she nearly rose from her seat.

[ _We passed by this bar and grill a block away from New Grillby’s when Alphys noticed we were being followed by three guys. She sped up and we turned into an alley hoping to cut through but it was enclosed.]_ Frisk signed, Alphys nodding her head in agreement as the others looked at them with worry.

“I-I tried to get the t-three men to leave us alone, but they were yelling at us; telling me that mo-monsters never should have come up from the un-underground and that Frisk is a t-traitor for helping us.”Alphys continued, squeezing her girlfriend’s hand when she felt her tense beside her.

“How horrible! Why would they say that?”Papyrus asked, distress in his voice as Sans lightly patted his brother’s arm.

“You know why, Pap. Some human’s just don’t like us, that’s all.”Sans said, his voice tight as his brother seemed to deflate in on himself.

“I have a feeling that it didn’t end there.”Asgore said, his voice soft as Alphys and Frisk shook their heads.

“Th-The three humans p-pulled out weapons and began a-advancing on u-us. I-I moved in front of F-Frisk t-to defend him.”Alphys said, blinking when Frisk took her free hand and squeezed it tightly.

_[I looked up because I heard something from the entrance of the alley and saw a woman standing there. She looked so…so mad! The three men turned and asked her what she wanted and she told them that they never should’ve threatened us. What happened next…it was so fast. Her right eye flared silver and her hand began glowing silver. She flung those men into each other and around the alley before throwing them into a dumpster with magic!]_ Frisk explained, his hands nearly a blur as the others stared at him in shock and some disbelief.

“Frisk…there hasn’t been a human who is able to use magic for hundreds of years, now.”Toriel said, her voice soft as if Frisk didn’t already know this.

“Maybe you didn’t properly see what-“

“He’s telling the truth! I-I saw it too. It was practically identical to Sans’ magic except for the color. Yo-You know I-I wouldn’t lie about this.”Alphys said, watching as Toriel and Asgore looked at each other with some alarm while Papyrus looked at them with surprise.

_[I didn’t get a good look at her because the streetlamp was behind her. She was pretty short though and had dark hair. When she snapped out of her anger she took off quickly.]_ Frisk added, the others looking at him and nodding slowly.

“It would make sense that she would leave so quickly.”Asgore mused, Toriel nodding.

“Indeed. She was likely afraid that you would harm her or try to capture her.”She said, making Papyrus frown.

“But Frisk and Alphys would _never_ do that!”He exclaimed, said pair nodding in agreement even though Sans sighed.

“She wouldn’t know that Pap. She just revealed a huge secret, one that could put her in a lot of danger. ‘S no wonder why she hightailed it outta there.”Sans said, the others nodding as Frisk shifted.

_[I just wanted to thank her. She saved us.]_ He signed, Toriel smiling sadly as she looked at the boy she thought of as her son.

“I know you did, dear. Even though it is worrying, I am glad she was there.”She said, Asgore, Sans, Papyrus and Undyne nodding in agreement.

“W-What will w-we do?”Alphys asked, looking at Sans and Asgore.

“Like Tori said, it’s worrying but there’s nothin’ we can do. Sounds like the girl has control over her powers though. It takes a lot for someone to pull back their magic like that. Her magic could’ve gotten outta hand if she didn’t have enough control.”Sans explained, the others listening intently.

“Do you think the a-jerks who tried attacking Alphys and Frisk will report that they were attacked?”Undyne asked, catching herself before she swore in front of Frisk.

“I doubt it. They would have to explain how they were attacked and that would mean telling the police that they were threatening Frisk and Alphys. Both of them are well known around the world and their attackers would be arrested for attempted assault.”Asgore explained, Frisk and Papyrus shuddering at the thought while Alphys pressed herself into Undyne’s side.

“For now, I think it would be for the best to continue about our normal lives. We can always keep an eye out for any woman whose eye turns silver when angered, though I doubt we’ll find her. She, like Sans said, has control over her magic. It would most likely take another incident like this to make her use her magic again.”Toriel explained, smiling gently as the others voiced their agreement.

“She must be a _great_ and _kind_ human to have helped Alphys and Frisk! We must thank her if we ever find her.”Papyrus said, smiling as Sans chuckled softly.

“We will bro.”He said, Papyrus nodding happily.

It wasn’t long after that when Undyne took Alphys home, claiming that she needs her rest after such a terrifying time. Alphys was actually looking rather tired and there were fine tremors running through her as it fully hit how close she came to getting hurt. Sans and Papyrus were next to leave, in which Papyrus promised to be over tomorrow after breakfast for his playdate with Frisk. Frisk smiled and gave the tall skeleton a thumbs up instead of signing an answer, though he scowled when Sans ruffled his hair. Sans grinned at him before getting up and following his brother out the front door. Once the door was closed, Toriel locked it before she walked over to Frisk and pulled him into her arms. Frisk blinked before closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around the monster who has become his mother. He took comfort in the warmth radiating from her fur along with the faint scent of her magic: a warm and soothing scent.

“Go upstairs and shower, dear. I’ll be up after you settle into bed.”Toriel said, Frisk nodding as he pulled away from her arms.

Asgore and Toriel watched as Frisk headed upstairs and they waited until they heard the sound of the bathroom door closing. Toriel sighed and sat down in her rocking chair, closing her eyes as she ran a hand down her face. Asgore sat down on the couch, feeling drained, worried and relieved at the same time. The implications of what could’ve happened rested heavy in their hearts. Alphys and Frisk could’ve been seriously hurt or, God forbid, killed by those three men. They wouldn’t have discovered it unless Undyne and Sans found the pair or in the morning on the news. Frisk was such an important figure in both societies and him being hurt or killed would cripple the advancements of monsters integrating into the human world. If Alphys had been harmed or killed, with her work trying to help cure human ailments using monster DNA, those advancements would’ve tapered off or would’ve stopped completely. Human scientists were still trying to fully understand monster DNA and magic and so Alphys was a crucial player in understanding those things.

“What do we do?”Toriel asked, distress in her voice as she looked at her former husband.

“There’s not much we can do. Frisk and Alphys can’t tell the police because that would draw attention to the fact that there’s a human who has magic out there. There’s no telling what the government would do should they discover this.”Asgore said, Toriel shuddering lightly.

“That poor human would…she would be subjected to tests, wouldn’t she?”She asked, Asgore nodding solemnly.

“They would want to see the extent of her magic and would want to run tests to see how it is that she has magic. Sans would undoubtedly be drawn in as well since their magic seems almost identical. If we discover who saved Frisk and Alphys, all we can do is promise that we won’t tell and accept this woman.”Asgore said, Toriel blinking before she nodded gently.

Both of them looked up when they heard the shower turn off, in which Toriel stood and headed upstairs to see to it that Frisk actually went to bed. Asgore watched her walk away before sighing and closing his eyes. Inside his chest, his soul ached for his former wife. Ever since they had come out of the underground, he’s been living with her and Frisk. While she no longer looked at him with anger and hatred, he could feel the betrayal and hurt resonating from her soul. They had been soulmates before their son’s death and they had been so happy back then. However, after his…after he killed the first human who had shown up at the castle after their son’s and Chara’s deaths, things broke apart. He is trying, he really is and he knows that Frisk doesn’t blame him for what he tried to do. Frisk had long since forgiven him and assured him that he doesn’t blame him for trying to keep monsters safe from humans. However, Toriel…well she could hold a grudge and it still doesn’t seem like she’ll forgive him anytime in the near future.

He had seen the worry and slight fear in her eyes when Frisk and Alphys told them about the human. He had seen her glance at him with wide eyes and knew that she feared that he would say that the magic wielding human would have to be killed. While he might have thought that in the past, he knows the error of his ways. Frisk helped to make him see what he had done wrong and the young boy has made him realize a lot of things since then. Whoever this woman is, she saved Alphys and Frisk with her powers. She ensured that they weren’t harmed and that their attackers won’t be able to hurt anyone else for some time. Yes, it was slightly worrying that a human has magic, but it had taken several human magic users to send them into the underground. This is just one human girl and, from what he gathered from Alphys and Frisk, she is a friend to monster. She could’ve easily used her magic to harm Frisk and Alphys; instead she used it to save them before fleeing.

“I’m going to head to bed.”Toriel said, breaking Asgore out of his thoughts as he looked up at her.

“Goodnight.”He said, watching as she nodded before heading towards the back of the house.

Meanwhile a few blocks away, Sans groaned as he flopped down onto the couch. He had just put Papyrus to bed with a story and is now able to fully go over what had happened. Earlier that evening he and Undyne had been worried when they were waiting for Alphys and Frisk in Vix’s café. They knew that there were people around who might try to hurt them, but they hadn’t thought that anyone actually would. Frisk is well known throughout the world and to harm him would ensure a long sentence in prison. Hell, even hurting Alphys would put them away in jail since she works for one of the government’s research facilities. When they didn’t show up at the agreed time, both he and Undyne had become increasingly nervous about where they could be. They had stepped outside when he had suddenly detected the huge surge of magic coming from an alley a few blocks away.

After that had been the cries of pain from those three bastards that had dared to threaten Frisk and Alphys. They had started running in the direction of the screams when they had suddenly ended. Sadly, by the time they turned the corner and the alley was in view, there was no sign of any human girl. There had been doubt when Frisk and Alphys had told them about the fact that a _human_ woman had used magic to save them, but he had detected no lies in Alphys’ voice and Frisk had looked hurt and betrayed when he said that they had to be mistaken. However, now that he’s heard the full story, he’s inclined to believe both of them and the fact that there is now some human girl who has magic like him. It sent shudder through his bones at the very idea that a human could have such powerful magic.

However, he was glad that whoever she is, she appears to be friends with monsters. Honestly, he was glad that she had been there to save Frisk and Alphys. While he is nervous about the fact that there’s a human with magic, he’s grateful that she was there and had the power to save them. Sighing, he ran his hand down his face, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back. Pap was already talking about different ways they might be able to find this woman, but most of those ideas were rather…far-fetched and would bring unwanted attention to them and the woman. Of course he had gently told his little brother this and Papyrus had understood after he explained things. Papyrus had eagerly told him that he thought that he(Sans) would be great friends with the woman since their powers are so similar. He hadn’t had the heart to tell his brother that he was worried that the woman might try to use her powers against them. It didn’t seem likely, but there was still a very large risk that this woman could harm monsters just as much as she can harm humans with her powers.

It had taken him quite some time to get full control over his magic. Even now he has to meditate in order to keep his magic under his complete control. At times it just built and continued to build inside of him until it threatened to escape. It’s one of the reasons why he used his magic so much, even if it was for mundane tasks like getting plates and silverware from the cupboards or getting his clothes from his closet. Sans understood of course and his little brother was always setting up little tasks for him so he could use his magic such as putting the plates on the topmost shelves in the cupboards or hiding the remote underneath the entertainment stand. He loves his brother for what he does and firmly believes that his brother is the coolest because of how much he cares about him and the others. Heck, Pap is even worried about a human woman he’s never met simply because she helped Frisk and Alphys.

A soft melody filled the air, making Sans blink before he realized that the sound is coming from his jacket pocket. Reaching into his pocket, he soon pulled out his cell phone and saw that he had gotten a message from Undyne.

Undyne: _What are we going to do about this? Alphys was really shaken up._

Sans sighed as he read the text. He couldn’t blame Alphys for being shaken up about almost being attacked. Hell, he was surprised that Frisk was taking it as well as he did.

Sans: _Tori and Asgore are right. There’s not much we can do._

Undyne: _U gotta be kidding me?! There’s some human out there with ur level of magic!_

Undyne: _Can u…I don’t know, track her using ur magic?_

Sans: _It don’t work like that. U know that._

Undyne: _I know…I hate seeing her like this. Is there anything we can do?_

Sans: _Not that I can think of. I’ll let u know if I think of somethin’_

Undyne: _K. Thanks._

Sans tucked his phone back into his pocket before standing up, groaning softly as he did so. Heading upstairs, he paused near Papyrus’ bedroom door and smiled softly as he heard his brother mumble in his sleep. Shaking his head, he headed to his room, his magic flaring as he unlocked his door and stepped inside. The door closed behind him and the knob glowed softly as it was locked once more.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

Juliette sighed as she collected her things for work. Angel had agreed to drive her to work since she didn’t feel like walking to work in the surprise heatwave they were experiencing this late in September. Sadly she knew that Angel won’t be able to pick her up from work as she was going to be spending the night at Spencer’s. She was glad that her friend was going out, and Angel promised that she would be into work on time tomorrow morning. She was glad that she and Angel will have the afternoon shift together, though she wasn’t too happy about walking home alone on a Sunday night from the bar. It was common for some of the customers to linger around outside the place after it closes since their ‘buddies’ worked there. She wasn’t really looking forward to having to deal with drunk guys, but there was the back alley that let out a few blocks over.

“Ready, Jules?”Angel called, making the dark haired woman blink before she hurriedly pulled her hair back and grabbed her change of clothes.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”She called, walking out of her room and hurrying to the living room.

“Are you sure you don’t want Spence to come and pick you up tonight?”Angel asked, worry in her voice as Juliette smiled faintly.

“I’m positive. You two deserve some time alone together.”She said, Angel frowning though she nodded.

After putting on her shoes, they stepped out of the nice, cool, air conditioned apartment and into the sweltering heat. Hurrying down the stairs, they practically sprinted to Angels’ truck which was thankfully already running thanks to her automatic starter. Juliette jumped up into the passenger’s seat, sighing as the cool air inside the cab of the truck hit her. She was so grateful for the air conditioning; even more so since she remembered on how stingy her parents had been about the air and heat. She, personally, loves cold weather so the heat was horrible for her. Angel grinned at her as she climbed into the driver’s seat and buckled up before pulling out the parking lot. They talked about tomorrow and what they can do for lunch instead of eating at the restaurant. Angel happily agreed to head to Vixen’s for lunch tomorrow, in which Juliette grinned at her friend. She had been worried at first that Angel would be monsterphobic but when Angel bitched out someone after the monsters came out from the underground because that person had said horrible things about monsters, she knew her fears were ungrounded.

Pulling up to the curb, Juliette sighed and seriously thought about turning back and calling in sick. However, she had promised to take Sasha’s shift and it wasn’t fair to the other girl. Saying goodbye to Angel and wishing her a fun night, Juliette climbed out of the truck and hurried inside, glad that the air was on in the building. Many of the regular customers smiled and waved at her while her co-workers said hello. Heading to the back room, she stowed her bag away in her locker and changed her shoes out. She had worn her uniform there, though she had brought a change of normal clothing for tonight. She really didn’t want to go walking around at night wearing her uniform. That would draw unneeded attention to herself if anyone saw her walking home.

“Juliette, we need you out here!”Lance called, his voice already grating on her nerves.

“Coming.”She called, pulling on her work shoes and hurrying out of the back room and into the main dining room.

Juliette soon lost herself in the hustle and craziness of the end of the lunch rush and the beginning of the dinner crowd. She was constantly running back and forth from the kitchens, the bar and the dining room with orders. Lance, a rather handsome man with short blonde hair, blue eyes and a perfect white smile walked around the room, smiling and chatting with customers and laughing with his friends that were in there. More than once she caught him chatting up Miranda, one of the other waitresses who is working until close. Every time she passed by the pair, she rolled her eyes and made a noise of disgust whenever she was far enough away from them. Everyone knew that Miranda had been hired because of her…assets. The woman is a huge flirt and wasn’t afraid to use her rather large bust to get herself extra money with tips when dealing with single men or a group of men. Hell, she’s seen Miranda flirting with men who are there with their girlfriends and wives and knew that those other girls were about ready to murder Miranda whenever she served them.

Shaking her head, Juliette dodged around a few people as she carried a tray of food to another table. Thankfully it had slowed down slightly in the main dining area. Most of the customers were beginning to flock to the bar and the high tables that were stationed near the area. That area was Miranda’s ‘zone’ which meant she and David have the other two zones which weren’t terribly busy at the moment. Smiling, she set out the plates as she arrived at the customers table and asked them if they needed anything, to which they happily responded that they were fine at the moment. Gathering the serving tray, she straightened and moved away from the table, but paused when she saw the skeleton that had helped her at Walmart walk in. Bethany, the hostess, shuddered when she saw the monster, but plastered on a fake smile and grabbed a menu when he said that he wanted a place for one. Turning around, Juliette sighed silently when Bethany sent her a pointed look. Looking around, she saw that Lance and the others had spotted the monster as well, and Lance didn’t look happy.

Lance walked over and grabbed her arm, making Juliette scowl at the man as he pulled her to the back hallway as Bethany sat the monster in her section. Once the doors closed behind them, Juliette pulled her arm out of Lance’s grip, glaring at him as he turned and looked at her with a stern expression.

“Be quick about serving that… _thing._ I don’t want it hanging around here longer than necessary. Bethany can cover your other tables and the tips will go to you. Once it has a meal take your break. Just make sure it leaves as soon as possible.”He said, Juliette glaring at him.

“ _He_ has a name just like everyone else. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure _he_ gets the same service as all of our other customers.”She snapped, spinning and stalking out of the hallway before Lance to could say anything.

She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of ice water. Lance walked in behind her and moved towards the cook; most likely to inform him that there is a monster inside the building and she’ll be making his meal. Walking through the dining room, she noticed that many other customers were shooting filthy looks towards the skeleton and were whispering to each other about why he was there. Forcing her anger down, she schooled her face into an emotionless mask before letting a smile grace her lips as she headed towards the table Bethany had placed him at. He looked up from his menu and she felt her smile become a little more genuine when she saw him grin at her.

“Welcome to Blue Moon Bar and Grill. My name is Juliette and I’ll be your waitress for the evening.”She said, nodding her head towards him as his grin widened slightly.

“Evenin’ Juliette.”He said, nodding as she smiled warmly at him.

“Can I get you something to drink to start with? Perhaps an appetizer?”She asked, pulling out her small notebook after she set down the glass of ice water.

“I’ll have a glass of root-beer and…some cheese curds to start with.”He said, glancing down at the menu as Juliette jotted down his order.

“Alright! I’ll have that to you soon!”She said, smiling brightly before turning and walking away.

Juliette paused at her two other tables, ensuring that they were doing okay and collecting a few glasses to refill. Heading to the kitchen, she instantly headed to the drink fountains and made up the refills before getting her new customer his own glass. Cody, the cook, was already cursing about having a monster in the restaurant and nearly shouted that she had better be ready to cook for the ‘creature’ because he certainly wasn’t going to. Sneering at the aged man, she hurried out of the kitchen and back to the dining room where she handed out drinks before hurrying back to the kitchen. Inside, she washed her hands and put on gloves before grabbing the mix for the cheese curds. Moving quickly, she soon whipped up the batter for the cheese curds and dropped the pieces of cheese into the batter. She nearly had a screaming match with Cody when he refused to tell her where the tongs were, but after she threatened to tell Mister Masters about it, he finally relented and grunted out a response.

The cheese curds were soon in the fryer and she hurriedly removed her gloves and hurried out to the dining room. Bethany was shocked to see her in there and opened her mouth to say something but wasn’t able to. Juliette soon had two customers heading to the registers to pay their bills and took the orders of two more customers who walked into the place. She checked on the skeleton man and promised to have the cheese curds out soon, to which he gave her a sympathetic smile and told her to take her time.

“I’m in no hurry.”He said, shrugging a shoulder as she smiled at him.

It was then a mad rush to get the drink orders filled, get the cheese curds plated and then hand everything out. Once those were served, in which he had asked for a bottle of ketchup with it, things seemed to settle. Juliette continued to serve other customers who were seated in her section, much to Bethany’s displeasure since it meant she couldn’t try to take any tips. Lance reminded her to take her break, but she explained that she will when her skeleton customer has his main course. This made Lance scowl, since it meant that the monster was in the building for longer than he wanted. When she took the empty plate of cheese curds, she also took his order for his main course, which turned out to be the double burger and fries. He also asked for an extra bottle of ketchup. Inside the kitchen, she worked like mad to make the best burger she could. Unlike others, she took pride in her cooking and had experimented at home to find the best combination of spices to make meals stand out and delicious. Cody attempted to look over her shoulder and scoffed at what she was doing, but wisely kept his mouth shut after she glared at him something fierce.

Bringing out the dish, she snagged another bottle of ketchup and carried it out to the dining room. Smiling as she walked up to his table, he grinned when he saw the extra bottle he had asked for. After she set his plate down, she quickly grabbed his glass and refilled it back in the kitchen before bringing it back to him. When she returned to him, she was rather surprised to see that he had poured ketchup _all over_ his burger and fries. His grin was wide as she covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, in which he shrugged at her. Heading back into the kitchen, she made herself a burger and fries before getting a glass of Dr. Pepper. She carried her things out to the dining room after telling Lance she’s taking her lunch. Looking around the dining room, she blinked when she saw her monster customer staring at her. Swallowing nervously, she made her way over to his table and shifted lightly.

“Mind if I join you?”She asked, instantly regretting the question when he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Sorry. I-“

“No, it’s alright. Sit down. Tibia honest I was a little bone-ly.”He said, grinning as Juliette looked at him.

Juliette laughed and shook her head as she set down her glass and plate, Sans chuckling all the while at his own puns. A faint groan left Juliette’s lips as soon as she sat down; relief spreading through her as the pressure on her feet was relieved. He grinned at her and passed her one of the bottles of ketchup, to which she thanked him and added some to her fries. Looking up, she blinked when he squirted a shot of ketchup from the extra bottle straight into his mouth. Blinking, she laughed softly which made him begin to chuckle as well. She hummed happily as she bit into her burger, savoring the flavors as they exploded on her tongue.

“I’m Sans by the way. Sans Snowdin.”He said, making her look at him with surprise.

“O-Oh! I’m Juliette Thorn.”She said, brushing off one of her hands and extending it towards him.

Sans blinked and his perpetual grin changed to a genuine smile as he brushed off his own hand and took hers. Juliette flushed when Sans complimented her on the cooking, to which she was surprised when he thanked her for the meal. Raising an eyebrow, she watched him take a bite, noticing that he doesn’t seem to have a visible tongue. Shaking herself, she ate one of her fries before taking a drink of her soda.

“How do you know it was me who made your burger?”She asked, watching as Sans grinned.

“I could smell the spices on you. That and you didn’t have your apron when you came out.”He said, watching as she flushed and shifted.

“Ah.”

“So, what’s a girl like you doing working in a place like this?”He asked, taking a deep drink of his root-beer.

“What do you mean?”She asked, frowning lightly as Sans rolled his eyes and looked around.

“I can see that the others aren’t too happy I’m in here. Yet you don’t have any problem with me. Besides, you’re friends with Vix and nice to other mothers. I didn’t think someone like you would be working in a place like this; somewhere that isn’t friendly towards monsters.”He explained, watching as Juliette sighed and picked at her burger bun.

“It’s a job…it pays the bills, you know?”She asked, her voice soft as Sans looked at her with understanding.

“I know the feeling kid. So, do you live around here?”He asked, watching as Juliette looked at him with some suspicion in her eyes before she relaxed and began talking.

Juliette and Sans talked throughout their meal; laughing and learning more about each other. Juliette talked about how she lives with Angel, her best friend and sister in all but blood. Sans laughed as she talked about some of the adventures Angel dragged her into and asked plenty of questions about what they both like to do and what they want to do with their lives. When she talked about their dream of opening a monster friendly restaurant and club, he expressed a lot of interest in it. He explained that there aren’t too many clubs that are monster friendly and he knows many that would be more than happy to visit such a place. She was quick to change the subject and asked him questions about his own life. Juliette learned that he lives with his younger, more excitable brother Papyrus and he works from home. She also learned rather quickly that Sans thought the world of his younger brother and was more than happy to tell her about Papyrus’ accomplishments before and after they’ve come out of the underground.

When they finished their meals and drinks, Juliette stood and collected their plates and glasses after asking if Sans wanted anything else to eat. He asked for half a dozen cookies, three chocolate and three sugar to take home to his brother. She smiled and promised to be back with the box and the check before hurrying to the kitchen. She received many stares from other customers and her co-workers and she resisted the urge to hide away. Inside the kitchen, she dropped the plates, silverware and glasses into the sink and grabbed the requested cookies before adding everything up on Sans’ ticket. Walking out to the dining room, she smiled as she handed Sans the box of sweets and his final bill, in which he smiled and stood.

“See ya around kiddo.”He said, waving before he headed towards the register where Bethany was helping another customer.

Looking down at the table, her eyes widened when she saw a twenty dollar bill sitting on the center of the table. Looking up, she caught Sans’ eye and he winked at her, making her cheeks heat up in a fierce blush. Shifting, she pocketed the twenty and wiped down the table before heading over to some of the new customers as they were seated.

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The rest of the evening and night passed quickly for Juliette. After Sans left, she received a rather fierce talking to from Lance about how _she_ was the reason why he stayed around and made the other customers feel uneasy. As punishment he made her clean the main dining room, take out the trash and clean the bathrooms by herself before locking up by herself. After being told this, her anger boiled underneath the surface and she flew through her tasks. She hated this place! They all treated her like shite just because she was nice to a customer who just happened to be a monster. The bathrooms were filthy and she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that Lance had spread the word among the others to trash the bathrooms just to spite her. It took her until eleven at night before she finally got everything completed. She locked up the main door and windows before turning off the lights and ensuring the backup power for the freezers was still on. She changed into a pair of jeans and her tennis shoes in the bathroom before heading the back room and collecting her things. Turning off the lights, she locked the back door and set the alarm before hurrying outside.

Shouldering her bag, she looked around the back of the building before changing her mind about heading through the alley. There were no lights in the alley and there was no telling if someone was waiting for her…like Lance. Moving around to the front of the building she paused when she saw Lance standing across the street where a bar is with a group of his friends. He smirked when he saw her and gave her a spiteful, jaunty wave to which she gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to flip him off. Turning down the sidewalk, she set off towards the apartments. However, she stopped when she saw a familiar white skull and blue hoodie.

“Sans?”She asked, her eyes wide as the skeleton turned around and looked at her.

“Yo.”He said, raising a hand in greeting.

“Sans what are you doing here?”She asked, shock in her voice as she walked over to the man.

“You mentioned that you worked late so…I figured I could walk ya home.”He said, shrugging lightly as Juliette frowned.

“I’m used to walking home on my own, Sans. You don’t have to do this.”She said, feeling slightly insulted that he would think that she would need to have an escort home.

“I know but it wouldn’t feel right to me. My friends were almost hurt walking through this place. I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.”Sans explained, watching as Juliette blinked and looked at him in surprise.

Juliette instantly knew that he was talking about ambassador Frisk and the monster that had been with him the night before. Knowing that Sans is friends with them and was concerned for her because of the almost attack made her cheeks flush as she shifted. If she was honest with herself, since she stopped that attack, the nights around here didn’t seem as safe as they had before. Swallowing, she nodding her head, to which Sans grinned at her, his shoulders relaxing in what she could only guess was relief. They began walking side-by-side in companionable silence; though Juliette couldn’t help but glance up at Sans a few times.

“I thought you would be at home relaxing. Does Papyrus know you’re out?”She asked, watching as Sans glanced at her with a faint smirk.

“I am a grown monster, you know. But yes, I told Pap that I was going out before he went to bed. He loved the cookies by the way.”He said, watching as Juliette flushed and looked at the ground.

“Good. They’re not as good as they could be considering we have suppliers who bring the dough, but they’re alright.”She muttered, shrugging as Sans fought back a chuckle.

“Have you been to Lace and Silk Bakery yet? Muffet makes the best cakes and pastries I know of.”He said, watching as Juliette blinked and looked at him.

“Yes I have! I absolutely loved her cakes.”Juliette answered, flushing as Sans chuckled.

“Freak!”

Both of them looked up and turned so they were looking across the street. Juliette frowned when she saw two of Lance’s buddies who often visited the bar in the evenings jeering at them.

“Underground trash!”

Sans grit his teeth as the insults continued coming. You’d think he would be used to hearing all of this by now, but somehow it still managed to get under his bones. However, he blinked when he caught the flash of anger in Juliette’s eyes beside him. She looked downright pissed!

“Shove off you assholes.”She snapped, causing the two men to look at her in surprise and anger.

“Watch your mouth you monster loving bitch.”One of the men called, making Juliette roll her eyes.

“Oh, you’re so fuckin’ scary. I’m shaking in my shoes.”She drawled, making Sans snort and smirk faintly as the men turned red.

“I could give a rats ass if you tell Lance. Besides, you wouldn’t want me calling the cops for harassment, would you?”She drawled, smirking as the two men glared and stormed away.

Sans glanced at Juliette out of the corners of his eye sockets, watching as she breathed in before exhaling slowly. He could tell that the slurs had angered her and it made him even more interested in her. It wasn’t often when he found someone who accepted monsters so easily. It was a nice change of pace actually. As they continued walking, they talked about different random things. Juliette learned that Sans and Papyrus had moved into South Lyon at the start of this year and so were still learning where everything is. She happily talked about some of the more popular places to hang out and spend time like the bowling alley, the park and a few other places in Novi as well. Sans was rather interested in the skating rink, though claimed that Papyrus was more likely to have more fun than he would.

“So, about your idea of a restaurant and club.”Sans said, watching as Juliette blinked and raised an eyebrow at him.

“What about it?”She asked, shuffling slightly as they turned into her apartment complex.

“I honestly think it’s a great idea. There’s not that many places us monsters can go here to let loose and mingle; especially with humans that accept us. Besides, I can tell you’re miserable at Blue Moon. You should be doing somethin’ you love.”Sans said, watching as the smaller woman sighed and looked at the ground.

“I…I don’t think I can do that though. There’s so many unknowns, Sans. Angel and I would be going in as owners and then there’s finding a place that suits our needs, buying not only the building but the property as well, getting permission to open such a place, buying supplies, getting employees, advertising…”She said, closing her eyes as Sans turned his head to look at her.

“Look, I can understand you’re nervous; who wouldn’t be? But you gotta take risks in your life or else you’ll be miserable. Even though I hardly know ya, I can already tell that place is wearing down on ya. Don’t you think you should take a chance at realizing your dream?”He asked, watching as Juliette shifted uncomfortably.

“You sound like my uncle.”She said, smiling faintly even though her expression was sad.

“Oh?”

“Yeah…he was always encouraging me to push myself. To go above and beyond what anyone expected of me. He used to tell me to ignore the…’small minded imbeciles and do whatever I want.’.”She said, fondness in her voice as Sans nodded lightly.

“He sounds like a great man.”He said, his tone soft as Juliette nodded and cleared her throat.

“He was. I…I’ll think about it. About quitting that is. Angel and I can talk things over again; see if we can think of anything more.”She said, glancing at Sans and flushing when he smiled at her.

“Good.”

“A-Anyway, here’s my building.”She said, stopping near Angel’s truck and surprising Sans.

“Oh. I didn’t realize we made it already.”He said, lightly rubbing the back of his skull sheepishly.

“Heh, yeah. Well…thanks for walking me, Sans. You didn’t have to.”Juliette said, smiling shyly at the skeleton.

“Eh, don’t worry ‘bout it.”He said, grinning as she blushed lightly in the dim light from the apartments.

“Um…maybe we could hang out sometime? You, Papyrus, Angel and I? We could show you guys around..i-if you’d like.”She offered, noticing that Sans looked surprised at the offer.

“Sure, yeah. That sounds…that sounds nice.”He said, blushing slightly himself.

Juliette was fascinated by the faint dusting of blue on his cheekbones and instantly realized that he was blushing! She hadn’t even though he _could_ blush since he’s a skeleton but then again all monsters are made of magic so it made sense that his magic would most likely allow him to do human things such a blush. Shaking herself, she pulled out her waitress pad and a pen before quickly writing out her cellphone number. Sans watched her with mild curiosity before taking the piece of paper once she ripped it off.

“H-Here’s my number incase you ever want to get together and hang out.”She said, fighting back another blush as Sans folded the note and slipped it into the pocket of his hoodie.

“Alright, I’ll text ya sometime soon.”He said, Juliette nodding before she glanced behind her at the building.

“W-Well I’d better get inside. I have to let the dog out and get ready for bed. Thanks again, Sans. It was nice getting to know you finally.”She said, Sans nodding his head as he grinned at her.

“Same to you, Juliette. See you around.”He said, waving lightly as she turned and jogged towards her building.

“Bye.”She called, waving over her shoulder before darting up the stairs.

By the time she reached the second floor landing and was able to look out at the parking lot, Sans was already gone. She was surprised that he had vanished so quickly and it made her wonder how he had done it. However, she shook herself and hurried to the door to the apartment and unlocked it. Shade practically bowled her over in his eagerness to greet her and she nearly had to wrestle the dog to the ground in order to get his harness and leash on. After taking Shade outside to do his business, she locked up the apartment and made herself a quick sandwich so she wouldn’t be going to bed starving. It was while she was leaning against the kitchen counter eating that her phone went off. Setting her sandwich down, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and unlocked it, blinking when she saw she had a text from an unknown number.

_ It’s Sans _

Juliette blinked and smiled, glad that Sans had texted her so she’ll have his number now. She quickly added his number to her contacts and decided to add a little nickname to his contact information. It wasn’t like he’d ever see her phone screen.

Juliette: _Thanks. I now have your number saved. Did you make it home already?_

Setting down her phone, she quickly finished her sandwich and was rinsing her plate off when her phone went off again.

Sansy-boy(Sans): _Yup._

Juliette: _How?! You were already gone by the time I made it to the second floor!_

Sansy-boy: _Just a little trick I know. ;)_

Juliette shook her head and stuck her tongue out at the little winking emoji he had sent her. After ensuring that Trixie and Shade had some dry food and water, she headed to her room and got ready for bed. Turning off all the lights, she climbed into bed and picked up her phone once more.

Juliette: _Night bone boy. Thanks again._

Sansy-boy: _No prob kiddo. Night_

Shaking her head, Juliette smiled softly as she plugged in her phone for the night and set her alarm. Rolling onto her side, she burrowed underneath the covers and was soon asleep; dreaming of grinning skeletons and bad puns.

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A/N: Very short section.

Angel scrambled around Spencer’s trailer; rushing around to collect all her things so they could leave and she could be at work on time. Last night had been wonderful honestly. They had gone out bowling and then to the movies to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie that had come out a few weeks ago. After that Spencer had surprised her by taking her to a nice restaurant where they talked about work, friends and made some plans to go on future date and just hang out and spend time together. Yes, there had been a bit of a tense moment when Spencer had tried talking about the possibility of her moving in with him, but thankfully their waiter had come with their food and that had given her an excuse not to talk about that subject. After dinner they had gone back to the trailer park and went on a walk around the neighborhood before heading back inside and making their way to the bedroom.

-Now that had been a nice way to end the night.-She thought, grinning as she found her shirt on top of the T.V. in the living room.

Pulling on her shirt, she quickly checked her overnight bag and sighed in relief when she saw that she had, indeed, packed everything she needed for work. Hurrying to the kitchen, she snagged a few granola bars before rushing outside and getting into Spencer’s car once she locked the front door. Spencer shook his head at his girlfriend as she quickly buckled up while he pulled out of the driveway.

“I thought you had set your alarm.”He said, glancing over at her as she opened one of the granola bars and bit into it.

“So did I.”She said, her voice muffled as she covered her mouth with her hand while she spoke.

“You know, it’s a good thing I get up so early.”He said, grinning as she rolled her eyes at him and stuck her tongue out.

Angel spent the drive to work scarfing down the granola bars and combing her hair using a travel-sized brush she had in her bag. She made a mental note to brush her teeth in the women’s room before her shift starts. It was actually rather common for the employees to use the bathrooms to prepare themselves for their shifts. By the time Spencer pulled up to the bar and grill, Angel was more put together and awake. She smiled at him and leaned over, kissing his cheek as he wished her luck and to have a good day.

“Yeah….right.”She muttered, slipping out of Spencer’s car.

“Hey, you never know.”Spencer said, smiling as he watched her jog around the front of the car.

“Bye.”She called, waving before disappearing into the building.

Moving through the main dining room, Angel said hello to a few of her co-workers as she made her way to the back room. There, she sighed in relief when she saw Juliette walking in through the backdoor. Juliette blinked and smiled brightly, gladly accepting the hug Angel swept her into.

“Hey! I was worried about you! You never called me when you got off of work.”Angel said, worry in her voice as she looked her friend over.

“I’m alright, Angel. Just had to stay late last night and forgot to text you when I got home.”Juliette said, smiling sheepishly as Angel frowned at her.

“Please tell me you got a ride home or had taken the beast?”Angel asked, her eyes narrowing as Juliette rubbed the back of her head.

“Um…no to both of those. However! I didn’t walk home alone.”She said, watching as Angel blinked and raised an eyebrow.

“Who walked with you?”She asked, her eyes widening when a blush rose onto Juliette’s cheeks.

“I-I’ll tell you later.”She said, to which Angel frowned and opened her mouth to protest before they were interrupted by the appearance of Megan.

“Oh my God! Have you seen Victor?”She asked, her eyes wide as the two women turned to look at her.

“Huh? No, why?”Angel asked, watching as Megan bit her lip.

“He looks beat to hell! It’s why he wasn’t in yesterday and Lance was there all day. He’s just come in.”Megan said, leading the way out of the back room and into the main dining room.

There, standing in the center of a loose circle of their co-workers, is Victor. His right eye is swollen and heavily bruised and he has a few small cuts on his face and neck. His left arm is in a sling and he was leaning heavily on his right leg. Walking close, they could hear him brushing off the other’s concern and explaining that he had just gotten into a fight at a bar the night before last. Megan and Bethany fluttered around, asking him if he was truly alright and if he should even be there.

“Girls! Don’t worry. I’m alright. The other guys got off worse than I did.”He said, grinning as they looked at him with wonder and interest.

Angel snorted softly, having a feeling that Victor was lying. Shaking her head, she turned to look at Juliette before freezing when she saw her friend. Juliette’s eyes were narrowed as she looked at Victor and her hands were clenched tightly at her sides. When Angel rested a hand on her shoulder, Juliette turned and looked at her with such _anger_ that it nearly made her flinch back. However, concern replaced her fear when she saw her left eye beginning to fade to black. Her eyes widened as she felt the thrumming of Juliette’s magic underneath her hand and she knew she had to do something quickly. Grabbing Juliette’s hand, she pulled her friend away from their co-workers and to the women’s bathroom. Juliette was shaking by the time she shoved her friend into the handicap stall. Locking the door behind them, she turned and looked at Juliette, wincing when she saw the silver glow of her friend’s eye.

“Juliette, what the fuck is going on?! Calm down!”She hissed, pulling her friend’s glasses off and setting them down on the toilet paper holder.

“T-That-“Juliette snarled, her body shaking as Angel grabbed her face between her hands.

“Jules, what. The. Hell. Is. Happening?”Angel demanded, watching as Juliette looked at her with such anger that it took everything in her not to flinch back.

“Victor…he’s the one…”She growled, making Angel frown and narrow her eyes.

“The one who…what?”She asked, swallowing thickly as Juliette nearly growled.

“Victory fucking Masters is one of the bastards that tried to attack that monster and Frisk in the alley. He had a fucking knife.”She snapped, Angel’s eyes widening as she realized what was wrong.

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	3. Changes Abound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here’s the third chapter! I know, I know, I left you all hanging there at the end of the second chapter but I wanted to leave it there! It felt right to leave it there and wait until this chapter for you guys to learn what is going to happen. Now that Sans and Juliette actually know each other there will be a lot more interaction between them, Angel and the other monsters. Now, for those of you who live in the South Lyon, Michigan area, yes I am trying to keep most of the downtown area similar to its actual layout but I’ve obviously changed things in order to make this story work. I used to live there myself and have an alright layout in my head. Anyway, I do hope you’ve all enjoyed the story thus far and please, let me know if I need to tweak some of the characters! I’m always open to criticism that’ll help improve my writing but I’ll ignore/laugh at anyone who yells at me because I’m not doing what you want me to do with certain characters. Enough of my rants; please enjoy!
> 
> Dedications: I would like to dedicate this story to rosesandspades713 for her wonderful story ‘tonight I’ll need you to stay’. I highly recommend you read it as it is a wonderful Sans/Reader story that made me squee a lot!

-Thoughts-

_ Text _

_[Signing]_

_Emphasis on words_

 

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Angel stared at Juliette in shock as the words her friend had just said resonated in her mind. Victor, their manager, their boss’s son, had been drunk and had almost _attacked_ ambassador Frisk and one of his friends. Her anger was quick to build and her hands dropped from Juliette’s face and balled into fists. However, one look at Juliette’s glowing eye made her stomp down on her anger and she grabbed Juliette’s hands. Juliette’s magic thrummed in the air around them, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She knew that if Juliette didn’t calm down then there was a very real possibility that she’d do something rash and cause her secret to get out. She moved so she stood directly in front of Juliette and pressed one of her friend’s hands against her chest right above her heart. Juliette slowly began to feel the steady thumping of her friend’s heart; the feeling slowly bringing her down from her fierce anger.

“I have no doubt that you’re telling the truth but you can’t do anything less you reveal that it was _you_ who attacked him.”Angel said, her voice soft as Juliette’s eyes slowly returned to normal.

“I know…I know. But, there is something I can do.”Juliette muttered, her eyes flaring with determination as Angel blinked.

“What are you planning?”She asked, raising an eyebrow as Juliette sighed and looked at her best friend.

“The guy who walked me home tried to convince me to go after my dreams. He made me realize that my uncle was right; that you were right. It was my own fears keeping me back from quitting this _wretched_ place. We shouldn’t have to work for these bastards.”Juliette answered, Angel’s eyes brightening.

“You mean-?!”

“Exactly. Let’s get out of this shithole.”Juliette said, her eyes bright and dancing with an inner fire Angel hasn’t seen since her uncle’s death.

As both of them hadn’t changed into their uniforms, they walked out of the bathroom and ignored Victor when he called their names. Instead, they headed to the back room and pulled out their name tags, aprons and waitress pads. Looking at each other, they nodded and walked back out to the main dining room, the others looking at them with wide eyes as they dumped their things onto the floor at Victor’s feet. Victor looked at them with shock, though that shock was steadily giving way to anger. The two girls stepped back and stared at their manager, waiting for him to say something.

“What do you think you’re doing?”Victor said, his voice tight and laced with anger.

“I thought it would be obvious.”Juliette drawled, though Angel placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Now Jules, you’re giving these racists pigs too much credit. You know they’re pretty narrow minded and rather slow on the intake.”Angel said, fighting back the smirk that threatened to spread across her face as many of the others bristled at her insult.

“Very true Angel. In that case, let me spell it out for you in simple terms so you’ll be able to understand. Angel and I quit. We no longer want to work for racists assholes like you.”Juliette said, speaking slowly and clearly as Victor looked at her with sheer anger and disgust.

“Why you monster loving bitch. Don’t think that Lance didn’t tell me about that damn _freak_ that came in yesterday. He also told me about how you sat and ate with it. You’re probably fucking it too, aren’t you?”Victor sneered, smirking as Juliette looked at him with hatred and rage.

“Any one would be a better fuck than you, that’s for sure.”Angel snapped, smirking as Victor turned red.

“Get out! Get out and don’t you dare show your ugly faces here again! Good luck getting another job.”Victor ranted, watching as Angel grabbed Juliette’s hand and pulled her to the back room.

They grabbed their bags and hurried from the restaurant, not wanting to spend another minute longer in that shithole. Walking through the interconnecting alleys, it felt as if a great weight had suddenly been lifted from their shoulders. Looking at each other, they laughed, feeling light hearted for the first time since they began working for Blue Moon. Yes, they’ll be without jobs until they manage to get their own business up and running, but they’ll make it through this. The rent for the apartment is paid for the year and they’ve been walking more often than taking Angel’s truck except for when they needed to go shopping or wanted to go out of the town. In an open area, they stopped and sat down at a bench where they set down their bags and allowed the adrenaline to slowly leave their bodies.

“Jules, what did Victor mean that you ate lunch with a monster?”Angel asked, looking at her friend.

“Yesterday that skeleton who helped me in Walmart showed up in the restaurant. Of course he was seated in my section and I made him his meals. Lance gave me my break while the customer was eating and he waved me over when he saw me looking around for a table to sit at. His name is Sans Snowdin and he’s actually rather nice; though he loves telling puns.”Juliette explained, Angel chuckling as she listened.

“Sans…also walked me home last night. Lance made me stay late because Sans was in the restaurant longer than he wanted him to be and so blamed me because I ate with him. When I walked outside he was waiting for me nearby. Admittedly…I was a little short with him at first but he explained that it was his friends who had nearly been attacked by Victor and his goons. He also explained that our ‘dream’ business was a good idea. He explained that there aren’t many places for monsters to hang out and relax without fear of being judged and discriminated against.”She continued, Angel listening intently as she grinned at her friend.

“Nice! I’m glad that he walked you home and that he finally convinced you that our ideas are good ones! Did you get his number?”She asked, smirking as Juliette blushed heavily and nodded.

Juliette let out a sound of surprise when Angel suddenly reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out her phone. Angel jumped up and scuttled around the area as Juliette cried out and chased her around in an attempt to get her phone back. When Angel opened and found Juliette’s contact lists, her eyes lit up when she saw the nickname she had put Sans under.

“Oooo! Sansy-boy huh?!”Angel cooed, grinning as Juliette blushed something fierce as she continued to chase Angel around.

“Angel! Give me back my phone dammit!”She cried her eyes widening as Angel jumped up onto a closed dumpster where she couldn’t reach her friend.

“Oh hush! I’m just thanking him for walking you home.”Angel said, quickly typing out a message to Sans.

Juliette: _Hey, thanks for walking Jules home last night._

Juliette flushed and buried her face in her hands while Angel looked down at the phone screen.

Sansy-boy: _Sure, no prob. Who is this though?_

Juliette: _It’s Angel. She told me that you two had lunch together and you walked her home._

Sansy-boy: _Yeah, she’s a nice kid. It was nice talking to a human who doesn’t mind us monsters_

“Call him! You need to tell him what happened at work!”Angel said, jumping down off of the dumpster and handing her friend her phone.

“What?! W-Why?!”Juliette asked, her eyes wide as she accepted her phone.

“Because that way he won’t go into the restaurant in hopes of seeing you. I need to text Spencer, tell him that we’re going to be unwinding for a little while and then make our plans.”Angel said, pulling out her own phone as Juliette blinked before nodding slowly.

“A-Alright.”She muttered, looking down at the chat log Angel had started with Sans.

Juliette: _Hey, it’s Juliette. Mind if I call?_

Sansy-boy: _Go ahead. Just me here. Pap is at Undyne’s_

Swallowing thickly, Juliette mentally scolded herself for feeling so nervous about calling Sans. It didn’t make any sense! He’s a nice guy and…yes he is handsome for a skeleton but she doesn’t know too much about him and they’ve just begun talking and getting to know each other. Shaking herself, she hit the call button and brought her phone up to her ear. The phone rang twice before Sans picked up the call.

“Hey”

“Hey Sans. How are you?”She asked, shifting as she felt Angel staring at her.

“Good, you? Wait…aren’t you supposed to be at work?”Sans asked, making Juliette flush as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“Well…about that…”She muttered, listening as something rustled in the background on Sans’ end.

“What’s up?”

“Angel and I quit our jobs. Victor came in and was being a major ass. We…we were just so sick and tired of it all. It certainly didn’t help when I noticed that he had put up a sign stating that monsters aren’t allowed in the restaurant. We’re planning on unwinding for a week or so and then setting out to see about finding a place for our business.”Juliette explained, sitting down on the bench as Angel grinned at her.

“What?! The asshole really put a sign up like that?”Sans asked, disbelief in his voice as Juliette sighed.

“Yeah, he did. There’s no law against it but still. I didn’t want you or your brother coming by to visit me during work…i-if you had planned on doing that at some time. I know you were pretty uncomfortable yesterday.”Juliette said, listening to the strange sound of bone rubbing against bone.

“I had planned on perhaps bring Paps to the restaurant so thanks for telling me.”He said, Juliette nodding her head.

“No problem…um…you know…we could still get together and hang out. Angel really wants to meet you and I’d love to meet Papyrus.”She offered, listening as Sans fell silent for a moment.

“Sure, that sounds like a good idea. Papyrus was pretty excited about the idea of meeting you as well. What were you thinking?”Sans asked, making Juliette smile as Angel grinned at her.

“How about we meet up tomorrow at the local Coney Island here in town? I know it’s a monster friendly place.”She explained, smiling as Sans chuckled softly.

“Sure, what time?”

“Um…about noon? We could walk around afterwards if you guys wanted.”She answered, listening as something clicked rhythmically on tile.

“Sounds good. I have nothing to do and Pap was hoping to get out.”

“Great! We’ll see you there.”Juliette said, smiling as Angel stifled a giggled.

“Mhm. See you then.”Sans said, Juliette saying her goodbyes before she hung up.

Slipping her phone in her pocket, Juliette glared at Angel when she saw the shit-eating grin on the redhead’s face. Rolling her eyes, she stood and grabbed her bag, making Angel follow her lead. Walking out of the alley, they headed in the direction of the apartment complex. It was then that Juliette remembered that Angel had texted Spencer about quitting her job.

“What did Spencer say about you quitting?”She asked, looking over at her friend.

“He hasn’t responded yet. I know he’s at work so it won’t be until he’s on lunch or even when he gets off before he calls me.”Angel said, sighing softly as Juliette tilted her head to the side.

“What’s wrong?”She asked, concern in her voice as Angel looked at her.

“I have a feeling that he won’t be too happy that I’ve quit without having another job lined up. I know he cares about me, but he…he doesn’t think we’ll be able to do well at our ‘dream’ job. When he learns that you’ll be throwing your money behind this venture he’ll likely tell you how useless it is and how it’s too much of a risk for us to take; that you could lose your savings so on.”Angel explained, a hint of disappointment in her voice as Juliette lightly squeezed her hand.

“Now that I think about what we want to do, the more I think we can make it. You majored in Entrepreneurship and Finance. We can do this, even if it takes a little while.”Juliette said, smiling as Angel wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m supposed to be the one reassuring you, dummy.”Angel chuckled, making Juliette grin and shrug lightly.

They reached the apartment complex and stopped by the clubhouse to speak with one of the sectaries about the late night blasting music and T.V. from their neighbors, to which the women replied that they would give their neighbor a warning to keep their music and T.V. down, especially during the night. Juliette and Angel always took care to keep their music and T.V. down, and tried not to slam their doors or stomp around given they were above another apartment and had neighbors below and to the left of the apartment. Thanking the women, they headed out and towards their apartment, cutting through the lawns and waving to a few of the people they knew. Coming up to the apartment, Angel shook her head lightly as she thought of all the uniforms they no longer needed.

“What should we do with our uniforms?”She asked, looking over at her friend.

“Well, we can still wear them since we bought them, though we could also donate them if we don’t want them.”Juliette said, shrugging lightly as she pulled out her key and unlocked the door.

“True.”Angel said, said, smiling as Shade fawned over her when she stepped into the apartment.

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Angel had predicted Spencer’s reaction to the news that she had quit rather well. He had called her during his lunch and had asked her what she had been thinking in quitting without having another job lined up. He practically ranted about how she should’ve been searching for a new job and handed in her two weeks’ notice instead of flat out quitting and in such a horrible manner at that. When Angel explained that she and Juliette were planning on looking for a potential building to house their business, he had fallen silent before saying that they would talk about it when he got off of work. That had made both Angel and Juliette nervous. Juliette didn’t want Spencer to go off on a rant about how they’re foolish for wanting to try and make their dreams come true and certainly didn’t want to listen to him ranting and raving about how she and Angel had destroyed their chances at finding a new job because of how they quit.

When Spencer got off of work, he drove over and, with a small sense of dread, Angel let him inside where he set his things down and sat down on the sectional. Juliette mostly stayed in the kitchen where she was visible and yet far away enough so she could duck into her room if she became too uncomfortable. Angel steeled herself and sat down in the recliner, looking at her boyfriend as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“Angel…what the hell went through your mind to make you quit? I know Blue Moon wasn’t the best place but it was a steady income and you were doing well.”He said, looking up at his girlfriend.

“Spencer, I hated it there! I was absolutely miserable there and I couldn’t stand my co-workers and boss. You _know_ how much I hated it there.”Angel said, her voice strained as Spencer shook his head.

“I know but you do realize how hard this will make it for you to find another job, right? You quit minutes before your shift started.”Spencer stressed, making Angel frown.

“I know, but I wasn’t about to stay there one more minute. They put out a sign stating that monsters aren’t allowed in the restaurant anymore. I never want to work in another place that has such blatant racism again.”Angel said, her voice firm as Spencer sighed and shook his head.

“We’re ready for this, Spencer. I’ve been saving up incase something like this happens and so has Jules. We both knew, deep down, that it was only a matter of time before we were pushed too far. Besides, we want to have our own business and we feel like we’re ready to give it a shot.”She continued, blinking when her boyfriend scoffed softly and shook his head.

“You’re taking a massive risk, both of you. I thought you two were smarter than this. There is a huge chance you’ll fail and then you could fall into debt.”He said, watching as Juliette blinked and frowned.

“But there is just as high of a chance that we’ll succeed. The monster population in the surrounding cities is increasing every week as more and more monsters branch out. There is no club that accepts both monsters and humans and is a respectable place. We want to provide a safe, respectable place for both races to finally get together and mingle without either being judged.”Juliette said, Spencer frowning as he looked at her.

“You are too-“

“I know that there will be people and monsters who oppose the idea but I will forever wonder what could have been if I don’t take this chance. Angel and I came up with this together and we have the money and means to give this a try. If we fail then we fail but if we succeed then we have the chance to make something great.”Juliette said, Angel nodding her head as Spencer ran a hand through his hair.

“Look, I…I can’t handle this. I can’t handle this sudden urge to chase after a child’s dream. I’ll be around for when you finally come to your senses, Angel. I’m sorry.”Spencer said, standing up and picking up his things.

“W-What?!”Juliette asked, her eyes wide as she watched the older man open the door.

“I’m sorry.”He said, turning to look back at Angel before he walked out and closed the door behind him.

Angel closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. While she had expected him to rant and rave at her being childish and unreasonable, she hadn’t thought that he would go so far as to break up with her. Swallowing thickly, she opened her eyes when Shade whimpered and nudged her hand. She smiled faintly at her dog and lightly stroked his head, though she looked up when Juliette slowly walked over and sat down beside her. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against Juliette’s shoulder, letting her friend wrap an arm around her and pull her close. Okay, thing’s hadn’t been perfect with her and Spencer. They had their arguments and the occasional fight, but they had always managed to get past those. Yes, he had become rather pushy in bringing up the subject of her moving in with him even though he knew she wasn’t ready yet, but still. She had thought that he would at least, maybe, support her choice in leaving a work environment that constantly brought her down and put her in a bad mood. Instead he tells her that she should’ve waited!

“I’m sorry, Angel…”Juliette said, her voice soft as she hugged her friend.

“It’s not your fault, Jules. I think…I think this was coming for awhile now. We’ve been fighting and arguing more and he’s been trying to get me to move out even though I’m not ready for that.”She said, Juliette nodding lightly.

“Do you still want to have lunch with Sans and Papyrus tomorrow? They would understand if you wouldn’t want to.”Juliette said, blinking when Angel lifted her head and smiled.

“No. I’m not going to let Spencer get to me like that. If he really thinks that I’ll drop this, our friendship and our longtime dream just because he wants to be a jerk then he doesn’t really know me.”She said, watching as Juliette smiled softly and nodded.

The pair spent the rest of the day relaxing at home and going outside to play with Shade. It was strange, actually, knowing that they don’t have to worry about dealing with monsterphobic customers and keeping their opinions to themselves anymore. But, at the same time, it was a relief. They erased their schedules from the whiteboard and instead rewrote their chores list and then, using their laptops, began making a list of things that they’ll need to do in order to get their own property and business started. They stopped for lunch, in which they treating themselves to Wendy’s before getting back to work on setting up everything they’d need and doing more research. Angel was a goldmine of information thanks to her major and was more than happy to explain things to Juliette that the woman didn’t understand or had questions on. Meanwhile, Juliette was more than happy informing Angel about what they’d need to run a successful restaurant based on what she had been taught in college as well.

By the time they went to bed that night, both of them were feeling more confident about choosing to follow their dreams. They’ll still take their time off to relax and unwind from having to work at such a horrible place, but they can at least begin working on what they’ll need to do to build and run a successful business. Yes, they were worried about what Victor had said and meant when they will have trouble finding work in the area, but they didn’t let themselves dwell on it. They were both smart enough to carry protection with them and both of them have taken self-defense classes at the urging of Angel’s parents when they talked about first moving in together. They hoped that they will be able to handle anything that Victor throws at them, though they also hoped that Mister Masters didn’t attempt to withhold their final checks because of something his son tell him that never happened. It is a very real possibility and there were doubts that any of their now former co-workers will stand up for them if it happened.

-We can always hope for the best.-Juliette said, closing her eyes as she attempted to fall asleep.

It seemed like it was only a few hours later when her alarm was going off at ten in the morning. Groaning, Juliette rolled out of bed and stumbled through her morning routine. When she was finally dressed and walked out of her bedroom, she knocked on Angel’s door and told her to get up; reminding her friend that they have two hours before they have to meet Sans and Papyrus at the restaurant. Thankfully Angel came out of her room after Juliette had to knock a second time ten minutes later and headed to her bathroom while Juliette took Shade out to use the bathroom. Back inside, she made herself and Angel a bowl of cereal so they wouldn’t be too full to eat lunch with the brothers. Angel grunted a good morning as she walked out of her bathroom dressed and drying her hair.

“I thought we were allowed to sleep in.”She muttered, snagging her bowl and sitting down in the recliner.

“We did have a lie in. We would’ve had to get up at six in the morning if we didn’t quit yesterday.”Juliette said, pulling out her phone and opening up her e-mail.

Angel looked over as the dark haired woman groaned, raising an eyebrow as her friend muttered curses under her breath and glared at the offending object in her hand. Before she could ask, however, Juliette handed her phone over to her. Angel saw that it’s an e-mail….from Juliette’s mother!

_ Juliette, _

_ I know it’s been some years since I’ve last contacted you but I wanted to inform you that your younger sister, Rebecca, is engaged. She and her fiancé: Jason, have already settled on a wedding for next May. She has asked me if I could get your address so she can formally send you an invitation to the wedding. They have informed me that you can bring a date with you and accommodations will be supplied for everyone. I don’t know where they’re having their wedding yet, but it’s bound to be beautiful. _

_ It would really mean a lot to Rebecca if you’d come to her wedding. I know you and I and you and your father were never very close but you and Rebecca were. If you give me your address I can send it to Rebecca so she can send you the invitation once they have the venue chosen and the exact date picked out. It would also be nice to hear from you again, dear. _

_ I miss you, _

_ Love mom. _

“Wow…”Angel breathed, handing the phone back to her friend.

“Rebecca never knew what happened…but my mom did. I don’t know if I can handle being around my parents and uncle again.”Juliette said, her voice soft as Angel walked over and hugged her tightly.

“But…”

“But I love my sister. She’s completely innocent in all of this. She knew that something happened to make my parents let my uncle Sebastian take me in. I’m not sure what they told her as way of an explanation but she never stopped calling me or talking to me until we moved here. The last I heard about them was they had moved to Minnesota when Rebecca was still in middle school.”Juliette explained, Angel nodding lightly.

“Your mom said you could bring a date. You could bring me or another friend. It doesn’t say you have to interact with your parents and uncle, just your sister and whoever it is she’s marrying.”Angel reasoned, Juliette blinking before she nodded lightly.

“True…I just hope my mom doesn’t try to come and visit me by surprise. I’ll give her our address to give to Becca. I wouldn’t mind hearing from her again.”Juliette said, hitting the reply button on her phone and quickly typing out a response.

Angel knew that Juliette would go to her sister’s wedding. Like she had said, her sister had been one of the very few family members she had gotten along with simply because her sister had been too young and her parents had hidden the abuse from Rebecca. She remembered on how Juliette would go to Twelve Oaks Mall and hang out with Rebecca for hours on end just catching up before they moved and when they did move she remembered how sad Juliette had been because she wasn’t able to see her sister anymore. The wedding would at least allow them to meet and hopefully reconnect once more, though she didn’t know how well her friend would deal with seeing her parents and uncle again. Hopefully whoever Juliette took with her would be able to help keep her calm throughout the time spent in the presence of her family. It wouldn’t be a good thing if Juliette ran in the middle of Rebecca’s wedding.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Angel got Juliette to help her collect the trash from the rooms and take them out to the dumpster before going back inside and cleaning down the counters and doing some dusting to pass the time until they had to leave. It was actually a pretty nice day out and wasn’t too cold so they were planning on walking to Coney Island instead of taking the truck. If the brothers wanted to go somewhere outside of the area they could always come back and get the truck later.

“Alright, we should head out.”Juliette said, drying her hands off on a dish towel as she glanced at the clock on the microwave.

“Time to meet the skele-bros!”Angel cried, making Juliette look at her in disbelief and slight worry.

“I wonder about you…”

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Sans chuckled as Papyrus looked around eagerly for the restaurant. Ever since he told his brother that Juliette and her friend had quit their job at Blue Moon, his brother had been worried. Papyrus fretted about how he would be able to meet the human he had become friends with though when he learned that Juliette and her friend/roommate Angel still wanted to meet him and hang out, he had been overjoyed. Of course Sans had told Undyne and Alphys about them having lunch and hanging out with two human girls, to which Undyne had been slightly cautious. However, he had quickly reassured her that Juliette was one of the few humans who accepted monsters and were friendly towards them. Thankfully she had backed down, though she claimed that she wanted to meet the two girls if everything went well today, which he hoped it did. Besides their monster friends and Frisk, he and Pap haven’t really made friends with any other humans. It’d be nice getting to hang out and spend time with someone new for a change and Juliette had seemed pretty cool when he had lunch with her on Sunday; though he could tell that she’s pretty shy.

“Sans!”

Looking up, Sans blinked and grinned when he saw Juliette waving at him while standing outside Coney Island. Beside her is a rather attractive redhead with blue/green eyes, freckles and lightly tanned skin. Both of them are dressed in jeans, long sleeved shirts and tennis shoes though Juliette is wearing blue while Angel is wearing dark green. It took a second before Papyrus rushed over to the two women and shook their hands eagerly, making Sans chuckle while both girls smiled warmly.

“Hello, humans! I am the _Great_ Papyrus! It’s wonderful to finally meet my brother’s new friend.”Papyrus exclaimed, beaming as Angel and Juliette glanced at each other while smiling.

“It’s great to meet you too, Papyrus. Sans told me a lot about you. I’m Juliette.”Juliette said, smiling happily at the skeleton.

“And I’m Angel. It’s nice to meet you as well.”Angel said, looking at Papyrus with interest before she looked at Sans when he finally reached them.

“Nice to meet you.”Sans said, nodding at the redhead as Juliette smiled.

“Same. Juliette was rather happy to tell me about your chat together.”Angel said, smirking as Juliette smacked her arm.

“Oh shut it, Angel. Let’s go in and eat. I’m starving.”Juliette said, struggling to keep herself from blushing as Sans grinned at her.

Inside they were quickly shown to their table by a rather kind waitress. After their drinks were ordered and the menu’s passed around, they finally got to talk about everything that has happened.

“So, you’re going to try your hand at opening the restaurant and club?”Sans asked, glancing through the choices on the menu.

“Yeah. We’ve already come up with a list on what we need to do and how to go about it. It’s going to take a large number of employees to staff the place.”Angel said, thinking about how many they had estimated that they’d need.

“I think it’s a _wonderful_ idea; opening a restaurant and club for both humans and monsters. Undyne was talking about how there’s not many places for us monsters to hang out.”Papyrus said, a hint of sadness in his voice as Sans looked up at his brother.

“Don’t worry, Papyrus. More and more places are starting to accept monsters. I know a lot of places in Novi do.”Juliette said, smiling as Papyrus looked at her and beamed.

“Very true. I also know the Sea World, Six Flags and a few other amusement parks have begun making sure their attractions and rides are safe for monsters too. It was all over the news a few months ago.”Angel added, blinking when she saw the slightly confused looks on the brothers faces.

“Wait…don’t tell me you guys haven’t been to an amusement park yet?!”She gasped, her eyes wide as Sans and Papyrus shook their heads.

“Alright, Angel. Before you get rambling about amusement parks, let’s order our food at least.”Juliette said, smiling as her friend’s mouth shut with a faint click.

The waitress came over a few seconds after Juliette stopped Angel from going on a rant. Juliette ended up getting chicken strips and fries while Angel went for the cheese burger and fries. Sans ordered two coney dogs and fries while Papyrus ordered macaroni and cheese when Sans explained that it’s a pasta dish. Juliette quickly remembered that Papyrus is…obsessed with spaghetti, in which she smiled and fought back a giggle. Shifting slightly in the booth, she smiled shyly at Sans when he looked at her, his eyebrow ridge raised in question.

“What do you guys like to do for fun?”She asked, smiling as Papyrus focused on her.

“I _love_ training with Undyne! Sans here is such a lazybones, he never joins us for training.”Papyrus said, scowling at his brother as Sans grinned and shrugged.

“What can I say; I’m bone idle.”Sans said, chuckling as Papyrus glared.

“Sans! Will you cease your terrible puns?! We’re in decent company.”He snapped, making Sans grin while Angel and Juliette giggled.

“I don’t mind, Papyrus. I find them pretty humerus.”Juliette said, shrugging lightly as Sans started laughing while Papyrus looked at her as if he had been betrayed.

“Come on, Jules, stop attempting to tickle our funny bones.”Angel said, smirking as Juliette started giggling while Papyrus groaned and put his head in his hands as Sans just laughed harder.

The waitress came over with their food, smiling as Papyrus looked at her with pleading eyes as if she could help him out. Thankfully, the other three calmed down and turned their attention to their newly arrived food. When Sans asked for an extra bottle of ketchup, Juliette snorted softly and shook her head, making Angel raise an eyebrow while Sans grinned at her. When the extra bottle arrived, Angel was slightly disturbed when Sans squirted a bit of the ketchup in his mouth before adding even more to his hot dogs and fries until they were nearly completely covered. All of them smiled when Papyrus tried his macaroni and instantly fell in love with it. Angel and Juliette glanced at each other, smiling brightly as the both made a mental note to introduce the tall skeleton to the various pasta dishes that they know of. As they ate, Papyrus happily talked about their friends Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, Asgore and Frisk. Angel and Juliette were rather surprised that the brothers are close friends with Frisk and King Asgore and it made them wonder about the brothers even more.

Angel and Juliette answered questions about themselves like what they did for fun, what games and movies they liked and where they liked to go to get out of the apartment. Sans expressed interest in the planetariums, museums and art galleries, which took both girls by surprise. He’s just so aloof that it was surprising that he was so interested in those kinds of things. Of course both Sans and Papyrus asked about the amusement parks and fairs, to which Angel and Juliette promised to take them to one of the fairs when they came to town. Papyrus was very interested in the zoo and nature trails. Angel had a lot of fun telling the brothers about laser tag, in which they asked plenty of questions about how the vests and laser guns worked. Juliette smiled as Papyrus turned to Sans with a pleading look in his eyes.

“Sans, we need to go play laser tag! It sounds like so much _fun_! We can bring Undyne and the others with us as well! I bet Frisk would _love_ it!”He exclaimed, excitement in his voice as Sans chuckled and smiled at his brother.

“How ‘bout this, Pap: we can talk to Undyne, Frisk and the others tonight when we have them over for dinner. I’m sure Angel and Juliette wouldn’t mind helping us out in planning a day where we can all go.”Sans said, looking at the two women.

“Of course. We’d love to meet your other friends and go as a group.”Juliette said, Angel nodding happily.

“Laser tag is always more fun in a group. That way we can split into teams.”Angel said, Sans and Papyrus smiling.

They finished their meals and all of them pitched into the bill and tip. Heading outside, they chatted while walking down the sidewalk towards the main part of the downtown area. Angel and Papyrus happily hurried ahead of Sans and Juliette, peering into the shop windows and pointing out things to each other while the other two smiled and looked on fondly. Juliette glanced at Sans and struck up a conversation with him about the Witch’s Hat Depot Museum. He looked rather interested in what she was talking about and asked plenty of questions about the different buildings that were a part of that area.

“Let’s catch up with Angel and Papyrus and see if they’d like to go. It should still be open for a few more hours.”Juliette said, smiling as Sans grinned and nodded.

They caught up with the pair as Angel was pointing out a few scarves in the window of a clothing store. When Juliette explained that Sans was interested in going to the museum, Papyrus eagerly agreed with Angel smiling brightly and nodding. The walk to the museum took ten minutes, though Papyrus eagerly hurried ahead when he saw the main building along with a small group of children and their parents. The children were wide-eyed when they saw Papyrus, though a little girl eagerly began asking him plenty of questions about him being a skeleton, which caused the rest of the children to crowd around him asking their own questions. Angel and Juliette saw the worry in Sans’ eyes, even though his grin never seemed to fade. When they reached the children, they hurried over to Sans and asked him questions too, in which three of the young boys eagerly told him that skeletons were their favorite monsters.

Angel and Juliette looked over to the parents and guardians; noticing that while some look uneasy, many of them are smiling. The children were soon pulled away, though they eagerly waved goodbye to Sans and Papyrus before happily following their parents/guardians. They headed inside the main building where a few people were looking around the first floor exhibits. Papyrus quieted down, though he was still eagerly looking over everything and pointed things out to Sans that caught his eye. The guide, an elderly gentleman, happily stood and showed them around; Sans and Papyrus listening with rapt attention and asking plenty of questions while Juliette and Angel smiled. They were glad that they could show the brothers this. Heading downstairs, Papyrus had to duck as they went down the stairs and was slightly hunched over because of his height. The guide apologized for this, though Papyrus waved his apology away before asking about a few photos that were next to a display.

Once they finished walking through the main building, they stepped out back where all of them went into the caboose. Once again, Papyrus had to duck down and was only able to straighten in the center of the caboose where children and some of the adults climbed up to look out the upper windows. Juliette climbed up and sat down, grinning as she looked out the window before she felt the odd feeling of bones brushing against her. Looking over, she blinked when Sans sat down in the chair across from her, a look of wonder on his face as he peered out the window. They soon climbed down so Angel and a child could climb up since Papyrus had no trouble seeing out the windows because of his height. Moving out of the caboose, Juliette grabbed Sans’ hand and pulled him to the schoolhouse. Angel and Papyrus hurried after them and the brothers were fascinated on the layout of the room and the fact that teachers taught different grades in the one classroom in the past. Papyrus was overjoyed when another guide handed him the rope to ring the school bell, which he did gladly before they headed towards the chapel.

After wandering around the chapel and looking through the different things they had inside, they stopped outside at the gazebo. There in the shade was a jazz band playing. All of them stopped to listen to the music and Juliette and Angel tossed some money into the open instrument cases that were on the ground. Papyrus was very interested in this and Sans happily gave him some money to add to the piles inside the cases. They finally headed out of the park, in which Papyrus eagerly asked questions about the other museums that they frequented.

“We love going to the Henry Ford Museum. Part of the museum is Greenfield Village. It’s a vast outdoor museum where you can walk around and explore the buildings. They have rides and different displays. People reenact what life was like in different eras and it’s absolutely amazing.”Juliette gushed, Sans grinning as Angel chuckled and Papyrus listened with wonder.

“You’re such a nerd, Jules!”Angel teased, laughing as Juliette shoved her playfully.

“You love it just as much as I do!”Juliette exclaimed, making Angel roll her eyes though her smile told the brothers that Juliette was right.

“What shall we do now?”Papyrus asked, looking around happily as they headed towards the main street once more.

“Well, we can do some window shopping for a little. I noticed that you were eyeing the thrift store.”Angel said, looking at Papyrus who nodded eagerly.

They headed to the thrift store and stepped inside where a few of the employees stopped and stared at Sans and Papyrus with shock and a small amount of fear. Angel glared at them, making them flush and hurriedly look away. Nodding, she and the others split up to wander around the nicely sized store. However, before Sans disappeared among the aisles, he shot the redhead a grateful look. Spreading out through the store, all of them eagerly looked through the various items for sale. Juliette found herself drawn towards the electronics and games, to which she let out a small noise of happiness when she found two new games for her PS3. Angel, meanwhile, headed towards the clothes and happily looked through some jeans and tops. Sans found a few books on astronomy and science that caught his eye and his grin widened when he saw that they’re in good condition. Papyrus, meanwhile, was drawn towards the toy area and saw a few new and cool action figures that seemed to call out to him.

All of them spent a good fifteen minutes wandering around the store before they met up at the front counter. Angel and Juliette were surprised to see that Papyrus had found a figurine of Jack Skellington and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas. Papyrus was gushing about them, though his eyes widened when the two girls explained that they’re characters from a very popular movie that was normally watched around Halloween and Christmas. Even Sans looked pretty interested and Papyrus was over the moon when he learned that the main character in the movie is a skeleton.

After paying for their items and having them bagged, they headed outside and noticed what time it is. Sadly, Sans and Papyrus explained that they had to leave.

“It was absolutely _wonderful_ meeting you!”Papyrus gushed, sweeping both Angel and Juliette into his arms and hugging them.

“It was great meeting you too, Papyrus.”Juliette said, smiling as she hugged him back.

“Yeah! We really should hang out again.”Angel gushed, grinning as Sans nodded.

“I’ll talk to Undyne and the others about laser tag and get back to you when all of us are free. Undyne’s been busy with her gym and Alphys has been working hard in her lab. However, they should have a day off soon.”He explained, the girls nodding happily.

Before they parted ways, Papyrus gave Angel and Juliette his cellphone number and Angel added Sans to hers as well. After another hug from Papyrus, the four of them headed off with the brothers heading towards the public parking area where Papyrus had parked his car. Angel and Juliette smiled and chatted as they headed back towards the apartment complex; more than happy that the day had gone so well. Both of them had been worried about how others would react to seeing two humans interacting and hanging out with two monsters, especially since people were still becoming accustomed to seeing monsters around town. Yes, there had been some people who sneered and glared at them, but many had just been shocked to see two skeletons. There had also been a few people who smiled and waved, which was a relief since it showed that not everyone in their area were assholes.

“That was a lot of fun!”Angel exclaimed, smiling as they walked across one of the lawns.

“Yeah, it was. Papyrus is very excitable but he’s really cool.”Juliette said, Angel nodding her head as she smiled.

“You can tell that Sans really does love him. It’s nice to see since many guys don’t act like that around younger siblings nowadays.”Angel remarked, Juliette sighing as she nodded.

“Yeah. I’m kind of eager to meet the rest of their friends.”Juliette said, blinking when Angel laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“See! I knew that you’d come out of your shell a little more! All it takes is the right kind of people; or in this case: monsters.”Angel gloated, grinning when Juliette blushed and stuck her tongue out at her.

“Oh hush!”

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

It was nearly a week before Sans and Papyrus were able to get Undyne, Alphys and Frisk together for a day. Of course Sans and Papyrus had told everyone about Juliette and Angel, in which many had asked plenty of questions about the two girls. Toriel had been more than happy that they had made friends with a few humans and Papyrus had been full of glowing compliments while Sans simply smiled and nodded, agreeing with what his brother was saying. Frisk had heard of laser tag but had never gotten to go, so of course he was the most eager to learn that Angel and Juliette wanted to take them to a laser tag arena in Novi. Sadly, they had to wait until all of them had a day off, which meant that they had to wait until Sunday since Undyne, Alphys and Sans have work while Frisk had school. Now, however, Frisk is nearly bouncing in the backseat of Papyrus’ red convertible where he sat between Undyne and Alphys. Sans is up in the passenger’s seat, giving his brother directions to the apartment complex where the girls lived.

“So are we going to play laser tag first?”Undyne asked, looking out the window with interest.

“Angel and Juliette are making us an early lunch first.”Sans answered, the others nodding with interest.

Pulling up to the proper apartment building, Papyrus quickly parked at the end of the lot where visitors were allowed to and they all climbed out of the car eagerly. San led the way up to the second floor; Frisk right beside him as he looked around eagerly. Sans managed to knock once before the door was opened by a rather disheveled Angel. She blinked and beamed at them, surprising Sans by pulling him into a hug before reaching behind him and pulling Papyrus into a hug as well, which the taller skeleton happily returned.

“Hey! C’mon in! Shade, back!”She called, stepping back as her dog tried to hurry forwards.

“Don’t mind the mess, we had a slight misshape early this morning.”Angel explained, leading the group further into the apartment as they looked around with interest.

“What happened?”Papyrus asked, concern in his voice as he looked at Angel.

“Well-“

“I was clumsy in the kitchen again. Sorry, guys, but I won’t be able to play for awhile.”Juliette interrupted, walking into the living room.

Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn to her left hand which was wrapped in a white bandage. All of them could smell the medicine that the bandage was soaked in and all of them were instantly concerned. However, Juliette simply smiled sheepishly and had them sit down so they could eat before she would explain what happened. Papyrus and Sans introduced the others to Angel and Juliette, in which the girls happily shook hands with the others, though Angel cooed over Frisk, making the ten-year-old blush and stick his tongue out at her. Papyrus practically demanded that he help bring out the two plates of sandwiches and the pitcher of juice and cups. Everything was set down on the coffee table and the drinks poured. Trixie was on her perch, watching the group closely while Shade was eagerly demanding attention from everyone. Angel and Juliette were glad that Shade wasn’t paying specific attention to Sans and Papyrus; they had been worried that he would attempt to chew on their legs or arms since the brothers are skeletons.

“So, what happened?”Undyne asked, glancing at Juliette who wasn’t using her left hand at all.

“I was making breakfast this morning when I accidently knocked into the frying pan. I wasn’t thinking when I grabbed it and I accidently grabbed the actual pan instead of the handle. It didn’t register instantly and when I did drop the pan I had second degree burns. Angel took me to the hospital where they treated me the best they could.”Juliette explained, a faint blush on her cheeks as the others looked at her in concern.

“She’s already attempted to use her hand, but she’s quickly reminded why she can’t whenever she touches something.”Angel said, narrowing her eyes as Juliette blushed harder.

Undyne frowned as she looked at Juliette, though she can understand why the woman would struggle not using her hands. Sadly, her healing magic wasn’t that strong. The most she would be able to do was take away the pain and maybe speed up the healing process. She also knew that Alphys wasn’t very strong magically either and Sans’ magic was more tuned towards defense and offense; not healing. However, she blinked when Sans shook his head, his grin widening slightly as he looked at Juliette.

“It’s your lucky day, kid. Pap here is pretty good with healing injuries.”He said, Papyrus blinking before he smiled brightly.

“Sans is right, Juliette! I am well versed in healing many injuries! Sans kept getting hurt working in his lab so I learned how to take care of his injuries.”Papyrus said, Sans beaming proudly at his brother.

Juliette blinked when Papyrus stood and walked over to where she was seated on the recliner. She set her plate down and watched as Papyrus knelt down beside her and gently took her hand into his. He carefully unwrapped the bandages from her wrist and hand. Alphys quickly covered Frisk’s eyes so he wouldn’t see the burns. Everyone flinched when they saw Juliette’s bright red flesh which was covered in blisters, some of which were open and weeping. Angel swallowed tightly, wincing and looking away as Papyrus’ fingers carefully covered Juliette’s hand. Juliette bit down on her lip to keep from crying out in pain, though a whimper still escaped. Papyrus looked at her apologetically before looking down at her hand. Drawing forth on his magic, Juliette’s eyes widened when there was a flash of orange light. Looking at Papyrus’ face, she was shocked to see both his ‘pupils’ had turned bright orange before she was distracted by another glow coming from her hand.

She felt the familiar thrumming of magic surrounding her hand before it sank into her skin. Instantly, the stinging coming from her burnt and blistered flesh stopped and a cool sensation washed over her; as if someone ran cool water over her skin. Angel smiled as Juliette’s shoulders relaxed and the traces of pain melted from her face. The glow around her hand and the glow in Papyrus’s eye sockets faded and the tall skeleton pulled his hands away, revealing that her hand was completely healed. Juliette slowly moved her fingers, looking at them in surprise as she twisted her wrist, moved her fingers and picked up her fork before setting it down. Papyrus gasped in surprise as she suddenly pulled him into a tight hug, making him blink before he hugged her back.

“Thank you _so much_ , Papyrus. It could’ve taken a few weeks before my hand healed.”She breathed, pulling back and noticing that there was a dusting of orange on his cheeks as he blushed.

“I-It was no problem, Juliette. We’re friends and friends look out for each other.”Papyrus said, standing up only to be hugged tightly by Angel.

“What did I tell ya? Pap is the coolest bro ever.”Sans praised, making Papyrus blush again.

[ _Of course he’s the coolest!_ ]Frisk signed, grinning as Papyrus smiled at him.

Sans translated for Juliette and Angel, to which they nodded and smiled. Things continued from there, in which the girls explained the finer art and rules of laser tag. Undyne was majorly interested in the tactics and the goal of the game which also interested Papyrus as well. However, Alphys instantly backed out of playing, much to the other’s displeasure. She flushed as the others tried to convince her to join, but thankfully Angel came to the rescue by explaining that there was an observation room where people who didn’t want to play could watch their friends play on a screen. Angel had the bright idea to divide their group into teams, in which she, Sans, and Papyrus made up one team while Juliette, Undyne and Frisk will make up the second team. She and Juliette explained that they can ‘rent’ out an arena so they won’t have to deal with any other teens and kids. They also explained that Sans and Papyrus might have a harder time blending in due to being made of bone since they would glow in the lights the arena used.

After cleaning up, which Juliette, Angel and Papyrus did, they all headed out towards Laser Challenger. Frisk happily went with Angel and Juliette, claiming that he had never ridden in a truck before and he also wanted to give Undyne and Alphys more room in the backseat. Papyrus stuck close to Angel’s truck during the twenty minute drive and parked next to her when they finally arrived at the business. The building was huge and the others were slightly overwhelmed, which only increased when they walked into the main lobby. The lobby is large and done in bright colors. There were screens on the walls displaying pictures taken of different children, teens and adults all dressed in gear and holding their laser guns. There were four large archways, each leading to a different arena while staff members stood near the archways and behind the counter. There were restrooms nearby and a wide archway which led to a decently sized arcade room.

“Hello and welcome to Laser Challenger!”A woman exclaimed, beaming as the group walked over to the counters.

“Hello. We’d like to rent out one of the arenas.”Juliette said, smiling as the woman typed in a few commands in her computer.

“It looks like all of our arenas are in use right now. However, arena two will be available in fifteen minutes. Do you want to wait?”She asked, looking up at the group as they looked at each other.

“Sure, I’ve never played in an arcade before.”Undyne said, the woman smiling.

“Alright, I’ll reserve arena two for your party. How many players?”She asked, looking at the group as they looked at her.

“Six players, two teams of three. Alphys would like to use the observation room.”Angel said, making Alphys blush lightly as the woman behind the counter nodded in understanding.

“Alright. The door to the observation room is right beside the archways. You’ll all be given wrist bands before you enter the arena and observation room so you won’t have to wait in line as more customers come. How long would you like to use the arena?”The woman asked, looking up from her computer.

“An hour please. That should give everyone time to learn how to play and we can play a few matches.”Juliette said, the woman nodding as she typed away.

Juliette gave her name and pulled out her card to pay for the arena, though the others insisted that the next time they want to go out and do something that they pay for it. Juliette flushed and explained that she was fine with it and she didn’t expect anyone to pay her back, though the others wouldn’t hear anything against it. Once they were given their wrist bands, they headed to the arcade where all of them pulled out some cash from the ATMs. Angel, Juliette and Frisk had a lot of fun explaining the different games to the others and watching them struggle at first. However, everyone was soon spread out through the area and were eagerly trying new games and earning tickets. It was rather easy to tell which games the others were doing well at and which they were getting frustrated with; especially Undyne. Her cries of outrage and growls of frustration made the others chuckle, though Alphys was always nearby to calm her girlfriend.

Angel ended up challenging Frisk to skee-ball, to which the kid surprisingly kicked Angel’s ass. Her eyes were wide when she saw the points at the end of the game, to which Frisk pumped his first into the air and was dancing around in celebration. Undyne managed to convince Alphys to join her in a racing game, which was amusing seeing the pair climb onto the two game motorcycles. Nearby, Sans and Papyrus climbed into the chairs for the car racing games and went against each other like the girls. Juliette, Angel and Frisk stood nearby, watching the two races and cheering on their friends. Sans won the race; though it had been a close race with Papyrus right on his brother’s tail throughout most of it. Surprisingly Alphys won the race against Undyne, shocking the others before they began cheering as Alphys stared at the screen in shock. Undyne beamed and swept her smaller girlfriend into her arms, planting a kiss on the top of her head which made Alphys turn bright in as she clung to her taller girlfriend. Angel and Juliette grinned at the action, finding the pair unbelievably adorable and perfect for each other.

Alphys and Undyne were absolutely perfect for each other. They could already tell that Alphys’ shy, kind and gentle nature tempered Undyne’s loud and somewhat violent nature. They had no doubt that Undyne is a great woman and that she truly does care about her friend even though she has a tough exterior in the presence of others that she doesn’t know. After Undyne released her embarrassed girlfriend, they all went back to playing. Juliette ended up going up against Undyne in a shooting game, to which they were both jeering at each other and trying to get the other to miss a shot. Undyne won eventually, to which she happily gloated while Juliette huffed though her smile never left her lips.

Near the end of their wait, they finally had their tickets counted before taking the slip of paper to the prize counter. Sans ended up giving Papyrus his ticket which allowed his brother to get a stuffed skeleton dog from a movie called Corpse Bride. Undyne and Alphys put their tickets together and Undyne happily let Alphys get a stuffed anime cat from one of her new favorite animes that she had gotten into recently. Angel got herself a light-up necklace in the shape of a flame while Juliette got one in the shape of a star. Finally, Frisk got himself a stuffed Zero from Nightmare Before Christmas, which made Papyrus rather happy. All of them exited the arcade laughing and chatting before they made a dash to the car and truck to put their prizes away until they were finished playing. Heading back inside, they watched as groups of teens, kids and some adults came out of the different arenas and all of them smiled when they saw some monsters mixed into the groups. They were called over by a staff member and were fitted with vests used for the games.

Alphys watched with interest as the staff member went through how the vests and guns worked. Angel’s team is blue while Juliette’s is green, and their ‘target’ plates glowed the color of which team they were on. Juliette and her team went through one side of the archway while Angel and her team went through the other. They had agreed to a five minute ‘start’ time to allow them time to get familiar with the layout and find hiding spots. Alphys hurried into the observation room and sat down, her eyes instantly locked onto the screen that displayed the arena. She watched as everyone spread out and all of them tested their guns by firing at small targets that were spread throughout the arena. Alphys smiled when she saw that Undyne had found herself a good place to hide that would give her plenty of advantages over the others. However, she saw that Sans had found a place where his back is protected and he also has some cover for his front and sides. She knew that Angel and Juliette had taken charge of the teams because both of them have experience at the game and they had done a pretty good job in picking their teams. Papyrus has been training with Undyne for years and, while he’s not quite as good as she is, his accuracy is pretty good. She also knew that Sans was a pretty good shot too.

Undyne’s accuracy and speed was legendary, which would come in handy. Angel, Juliette and Frisk were unknown in this area, so it would be interesting to see how everything played out. The lights changed; the arena becoming darker thanks to the U.V. lighting. Alphys winced when she saw that the white of Sans and Papyrus’ bones began glowing along with Undyne’s shoes and Frisk’s strips on his shirt. This would certainly make things much more interesting. After five minutes a buzzer sounded, signaling the start of the game.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

The first two minutes after the buzzer sounded were silent. However, that didn’t last very long. Frisk moved out from his cover first, carefully and quickly moving through the maze like arena. He made sure to look around corners first and always ran to the next area that might provide him cover. Looking around, he froze when he heard someone moving around, his eyes widening when Papyrus suddenly appeared around a corner. Taking aim, he shot towards the sensor on Papyrus’ shoulder strap, grinning when it began flashing meaning he had been hit. They had been told that they have three ‘lives’ meaning after their sensors are hit three times they’re out of the game. Frisk hurried around another corner, though his eyes widened when he came face to face with Angel. She smirked and ‘shot’ his chest sensor while the one on his back let out a beeping sound as it was hit as well. Angel got off another shot, making Frisk scowl and set down his gun. A voice over the speaker came on saying that the green team had lost a teammate, making Papyrus and Angel give each other a high-five as Frisk headed towards the entrance where he was to wait.

However, the celebrations were cut short when Undyne and Juliette swiftly took out Papyrus, causing the green team to cheer and Alphys to smile in the observation room. It was an interesting battle as Undyne and Angel went head to head. Angel was certainly a formidable opponent and gave as good as she got. It took ten minutes before Angel managed to take down Undyne, though at the cost of exposing herself to Juliette. Juliette grinned as Angel groaned and shuffled off towards the entrance with Undyne. Now, only Juliette and Sans remained and it was rather interesting. Alphys had noticed that Sans hadn’t moved from his spot and was letting Juliette get closer and closer to his location. When she rounded the corner, Sans fired, striking her in the chest. Juliette sprinted for cover while firing over her shoulder, making Sans mutter a curse when it struck his shoulder. Both of them hid behind the low walls, hardly daring to raise their heads to check if the other had moved.

Juliette made the mistake of trying to move to another location for a chance at a better shot at Sans. He heard her move and stood, shooting towards her shoulders and back and hitting her back shoulder sensor. Unfortunately, Juliette had also taken a hit from Angel earlier, which meant that Sans had just taken her out of the game. Angel and Papyrus cheered as their team won and all of them celebrated their victory. After the lights came back on, they were able to switch up their teams once more. Juliette, Sans and Frisk made up the new green team while Angel, Undyne and Papyrus made up the new blue team. The second round was just as fun and intense as the first one. Both teams were a little more careful but none-the-less they still had a lot of fun. Surprisingly Angel was the first one taken out of the game by Sans and Frisk working together. Next Sans was taken out by Papyrus and Undyne who proved that they worked wonderfully together as a team. Undyne went down together with Juliette, leaving Frisk and Papyrus in the game.

Both were grinning as they moved through the arena. Surprisingly, Frisk had only been hit once while Papyrus was on his last life. Frisk came upon Papyrus first and his friend had his back to him. Whistling, Frisk watched as Papyrus spun around only to be hit in the shoulder, taking him out of the game and winning it for the green team. There was much celebration as Papyrus lifted Frisk into the air and carried him around on his shoulders as the boy grinned and waved at the others. After that round, everyone agreed that whichever team had the most wins by the end of their hour, the loosing team would pitch in money for dinner. The next two rounds were fun and rather interesting. They kept up with the first team pairing and the rounds were close, very close. In the end, Juliette’s team won, which surprised Angel though she smiled and grumbled about it good naturedly.

Frisk was carried out on Papyrus’ shoulders in celebration since the kid had managed to bring down Angel and Sans in the final round. Alphys was smiling when she walked over, in which she blushed deeply when Undyne kissed the top of her head. None of them were hungry enough for dinner just yet, though Undyne asked Angel and Juliette about the Henry Ford museum as Sans had mentioned it to them when they had gotten together last. The girls were more than happy to tell them about the museum and about Greenfield Village. It was Angel who suggested that they head over since it’s only one in the afternoon. The others looked at each other before shrugging and smiling, agreeing that it would be nice and would give them something more to do.

Heading out to the parking lot, Undyne and Alphys decided to ride with the girls while Frisk went with the brothers. It took an hour and a half from the laser tag place to reach the museum, and there were plenty of cars in the parking lot. Papyrus got a bit lost in the parking lot trying to find a place to park, but after Sans got on the phone with Juliette they quickly found the correct parking lot where the girls had parked and found a spot not too far away. The others were wide eyed as they followed Angel and Juliette towards the entrance to Greenfield Village. However, they snapped out of it and everyone got their own tickets before stepping into the area. Looking around, they instantly headed off towards the nearest exhibit; Papyrus and Frisk running ahead in eagerness as the others laughed and smiled at the pair. The nice thing was that there were different families and groups of other monsters walking around, which made Sans, Undyne and Alphys relax and enjoy themselves.

Wandering around the village, Angel and Juliette answered many questions as to why actors were dressed in certain clothing and why things were so different. Both girls loved history so they had a great time helping to explain things to their friends. They ended up riding on the train, which they got to see different parts of the village that they wanted to stop at and then they actually went on a ride in a Model T car, though poor Papyrus was hunched down as it didn’t offer much room inside for his height. Frisk practically begged to go on a ride on the carousel, which none of them could say no to his pleading eyes. All of them got onto the ride, though Undyne, Alphys, Sans and Juliette decided to sit in the benches instead of the animals like Angel, Papyrus and Frisk.

“What do you think so far?”Juliette asked, looking at Sans who was seated next to her.

“This is pretty cool, kid. It’s amazing on how much has changed.”Sans said, Juliette smiling as she nodded in agreement.

“We’ll see more inside. The inside of the museum is huge and has so many different exhibits. It’s amazing what how far we’ve come and how human’s used to live.”Juliette said, Sans nodding as he grinned.

“Hey…thanks for…you know…doing this. It means a lot to have humans accept us like this.”Sans said, rubbing the back of his skull as Juliette looked at him.

“You don’t have to thank me, Sans. When Angel and I look at you guy, we don’t see monsters. We see other people who just look different. It doesn’t matter to us if you’re monsters or not; just your personalities.”Juliette explained, watching as Sans looked at her before chuckling softly and shaking his head.

“If only there were more people like you two.”He said, making Juliette snort and chuckled ruefully.

“I think there would be a lot less trouble…then again I could be wrong. Both Angel and I have wicked tempers.”She said, making Sans laugh softly.

Once the ride was over, they continued their exploration of the village in which they got to tour many of the old houses and watched quite a few reenactments and how people made different crafts back in the era that they were demonstrating. All of them were very interested in the different things that were for sale in the gift store and they ended up getting a few things for themselves while Frisk also got Toriel and Asgore something. It was three in the afternoon before they finally headed inside to the main building of the museum. Inside, Angel and Juliette happily led the group through the massive museum. The crowds of people were thick, so they all made sure to stick close together, in which Frisk ended up between Undyne and Papyrus; the two tallest of their group. Of course Frisk and Alphys drew attention as their faces had been featured in the news and newspapers around the world. Alphys flushed at the attention and leaned into Undyne, who wrapped an arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders and glared at anyone who stared for too long.

Various staff members walked around, happily answering questions and pointing out different things that guest might’ve missed. Everyone loved the display of different cars and transportation along with what was considered fashionable in houses years back. Angel and Juliette were more than happy that the Dymaxion House was open for going inside and led their friends through the circular home. Halfway through their walkthrough, Sans answered a phone call from Toriel asking when they would be bringing Frisk home, in which he explained what they were doing and that they have plans to go out for dinner. However, he did promise to have the kid back home by eight at the latest. Frisk beamed at Sans, giving the skeleton a thumbs-up as he continued talking to Toriel. His grinned widened and he nodded at Frisk before focusing back on Toriel and finally managing to hang up.

“Alright, we’re good until eight.”Sans said, grinning as Frisk hugged him before they took off once more.

They continued walking around and exploring the place for another hour. After the hour, they finally stopped at the gift store and bought a few more trinkets. With their purchases in hand, they headed outside they wandered around the parking lot in an attempt to find the car and truck. Papyrus eventually lifted Frisk onto his shoulder and Frisk managed to catch sight of the vehicles thanks to the height advantage. All of them decided to head back to the apartment to relax and unwind from the excitement of the day. Angel happily boasted that they have plenty of video games for everyone to play, which Frisk, Papyrus and Undyne were eager to play. Heading back to the apartment, everyone kicked off their shoes and light jackets and sprawled out on the sectional, beanbag chairs(which were pulled out of the closet in the dining room) and the recliner. Angel happily put in Super Smash Brothers for the GameCube. However, when she handed a controller to Sans, he waved his hand lazily at her.

“No thanks. After all of the excitement today I’m _bone tired_.”He said, Undyne, Juliette and Angel laughing as Papyrus glared at his brother.

Alphys, Juliette and Sans watched with amusement as Angel kicked Papyrus’, Frisk’s and Undyne’s butts at the game. Undyne cried out in frustration and anger every time her character was blasted off screen by a combo hit from one of the others. Juliette got up and went to the kitchen after asking what everyone wanted to drink, in which everyone agreed on juice or soda of some kind. Collecting the drinks, she also grabbed a bag of chips and poured them into a large serving bowl. Juggling everything in her arms, she walked to the living room just as Angel won the first round and celebrated by cheering and cackling madly while Undyne muttered curses under her breath since Frisk was there and she wouldn’t swear around the kid. Juliette rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her face as she passed out the drinks and set down the bowl before taking her seat on a beanbag chair near Sans’ feet.

Sans grinned as he watched his brother play with their friends. He was glad that he and Papyrus had made plans to hang out with the girls and their other friends. It’s turned out to be a great day and he honestly had a lot of fun. Alphys took over for Frisk in playing the next round and surprised everyone by beating Angel and winning the round. She blushed but smiled proudly as Undyne hugged her and proudly boasted about her girlfriend’s video game skills. Juliette also took a turn at the game and did rather well though Frisk managed to beat her much to his happiness. Sans grinned when he saw Link get blasted off the screen by Frisk’s Pikachu who was wielding a hammer.

“Man, Jules! You may rock at the actual Zelda games and at playing the ocarina but Frisk has you beat.”Angel laughed, making her friend roll her eyes and stick her tongue out.

“Ocarina?”Papyrus asked, looking at the two girls with mild interest.

“An ocarina is a small, old wind instrument. I learned how to play it after I began playing the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time.”Juliette explained, blushing bright red as Angel grinned.

“She’s taught herself how to play all of the songs from that game.”She laughed, ducking as Juliette tried to swat her upside the head.

“She also knows a few songs from the other Zelda games.”She added, grinning as Juliette groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

[ _Will you play one for us?_ ]Frisk asked, Undyne grinning as she translated.

“Sounds like it’d be interesting.”Sans agreed, making Juliette glare at him while Angel jumped to her feet and ran down the hallway.

Juliette groaned when she heard Angel rummaging around in her room before her friend came hurrying back carrying her deep blue ocarina that looked exactly like the one from the game. Glaring at Angel, she stood and grabbed her ocarina from her friend. Walking over towards the area where the living room and dining room met, she breathed deeply and thought about what song to play. She finally decided to play Saria’s Song and the Song of Time. Taking a calm breath, she closed her eyes and brought her ocarina to her lips. Angel was nearly bouncing in her seat as she glanced at their friends before looking at Juliette. They listened as Juliette began playing a rather lively tune, her body swaying as her fingers pressed down on the holes of the ocarina. The others were in awe over the beautiful music coming from the small instrument. When the song ended after two minutes, Juliette paused for a few seconds before she began to play once more; this time a gentle and soothing melody filling the apartment.

The melody only lasted a minute or so, before it ended and Juliette lowered her ocarina. It took a second before everyone began clapping, making Juliette duck her head as her cheeks turned a dark red with her blush. She smiled bashfully as she cleaned off the mouthpiece and took her ocarina back to her room while Angel talked about the different songs and even played some on her phone. After Juliette returned to the living room, everyone settled down and played another game for an hour. It was after the hour when Frisk told the others that he was getting hungry. It took some debating among them to decide where they wanted to eat, but they finally settled on Pondarosa. Driving to the restaurant, they parked and happily chatted as they walked into the building and joined the line to be seated. Frisk was eagerly looking towards the buffet while the others looked at the menu above the counter. All of them decided to get small steaks and the buffet, which Frisk just wanted the buffet and a drink.

At the counter, the hostess frowned slightly when she saw who was with Angel and Juliette. However, she kept her opinion to herself and took their orders before leading them to a large table. She took their drink orders and walked away, making Angel and Undyne scowl while Sans and Juliette frowned. Frisk and Papyrus led the way towards the buffet and both of them eagerly began piling food onto their plates. A waitress went to their table and left their drinks while they were getting their first plate. Conversation was loud and constantly shifting from person to person as they shared different stories and told each other how they were doing in work or, in Frisk’s case, school. Frisk complained about some of his teachers and classmates, though Papyrus and Sans promised to help him on any homework he struggled with. Undyne complained about some protesters who had showed up outside her gym, though she turned gleeful as she remembered the satisfaction of calling the police on them.

“They had no idea that I own the property. They had thought that I just rented the building and property so they were shocked and terrified when the police showed up. All of them were arrested and they left cursing and screaming at me and how I shouldn’t be allowed to own a building but the police were more than happy to remind them of my rights.”Undyne explained, the others listening with close attention.

“It’s so stupid on how people still treat monsters. You guys never started two world wars; monsters never caused mass genocide and they certainly don’t have enough nuclear bombs to create another world war.”Angel spat, anger in her voice as Frisk gently touched her arm.

[ _Don’t worry, Angel. Things are only getting better as time continues._ ]He signed, Papyrus translating for Angel and Juliette.

“Yeah…but it feels like it’s taking too long.”Angel sighed, Juliette nodding lightly.

Before anyone could say anything else, a waiter walked over with the adults’ steaks and set them down, smiling as he asked if they needed anything. He refilled their drinks before leaving them alone, which they were thankful for. Frisk got to try a few of the different steaks the others had ordered though he preferred the buffet. Dinner was pleasant and there were many trips to and from the buffet for all of them. After they sat around for a little while to let their dinners digest, they headed to the small dessert buffet where they sampled a few of the desserts before they finally deemed themselves full. Heading to the parking lot after leaving a decent tip, they stood around their cars and talked for a little while longer before Papyrus and Frisk began looking rather tired.

“It was nice hanging out and meeting everyone.”Angel said, smiling as she hugged Alphys and Frisk before high-fiving Undyne.

“S-Same. W-We should do this a-again.”Alphys said, hugging Juliette as well.

“We will, that you can be sure of.”Juliette said, smiling as Frisk hugged her sleepily.

They all exchanged phone numbers before piling into their respective vehicles and pulling out of the parking lot. Angel waved at Sans before she turned onto another road while Sans continued driving straight. It had been a very successful and fun day; something that they had all needed after the stress of work, school and trying to get everything settled.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

September passed quickly for Angel and Juliette. They worked tirelessly at polishing up their business proposal and that they needed and wanted out of a potential business. They decided to forgo a second story and instead get a large, one story building that they could renovate and section off. They wanted a separate entrance for the restaurant and the club and inside the two ‘buildings’ would be separated by a door. Of course building will be soundproof; they don’t want the diners to be bothered by the music and loud chatter coming from the club side. They also decided to allow people eighteen and older into the club, though people and monsters need their I.D. in order to get in and would be given a special stamp so they could step outside to either cool off or smoke.

They had driven by two abandoned businesses that the property and building were listed for sale. Both of them know that they’ll have to renovate any building to suit their needs and what they wanted for their businesses. Sans and the others were more than happy to offer them help and they wisely took their advice into consideration. Speaking of their friends, Angel and Juliette spent plenty of time hanging out with Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys and Frisk. Both of them finally met Toriel and Asgore one evening when Frisk had invited them over to hang out. Angel and Juliette had to resist the urge to curtsy in front of the pair; their presence seemed to fill the entire room and both just screamed royalty even though they didn’t put on airs.

Angel and Juliette also made sure to avoid going near the Blue Moon as much as they possibly could. They saw that the sign stating that they refuse to serve monsters is still up in the window and that, from what they could see, the same staff still remains. Of course Juliette had gotten a phone call from Sasha a little after she and Angel had quit. Apparently Victor had been so enraged that they had just up and quit that he told everyone else that if they have a problem with him not wanting monsters in the restaurant then they should go as well. He also stated that the girls wouldn’t be getting their final checks in the mail, rather they’d have to go inside and speak to his father in order to get them. Of course that had been quickly dealt with by the same lawyer who had worked for Juliette’s uncle. He told Mister Masters that it was unlawful to hold a check for ‘ransom’ and both ladies were prepared to sue him and the establishment if they didn’t receive their checks. Thankfully Mister Masters proved that he wasn’t as idiotic as his son when the checks arrived the next day.

October came and with it brought an end to Angel and Juliette’s search for a building. They found it near the outskirts of South Lyon; it being a huge abandoned factory that had gone out of business due to another company. It sat on a fair bit of property and, after calling the real estate agent, they were able to get into it. The total building is twenty thousand square feet, which gave them plenty of room to devote towards their desires. Walking around the building, they asked plenty of questions about how much it cost, the reputation the area surrounding the factory has and how much traffic the roads surrounding it saw. The real estate agent was slightly surprised when they told him of their plans, but he smiled and happily answered their questions. They were shocked that the price wasn’t very high, but the agent explained that it’s because the factory has been for sale for nearly seven years now and requires a lot of work.

“So ladies? What do you think?”He asked, guiding them back towards the main entrance.

“It has a lot of potential. It’ll take a long time to remodel it to what we need, but it’s bones look sound.”Angel said, Juliette nodding her head.

“Would it be possible for us to have an inspector come out to examine everything before we put in an offer?”Juliette asked, watching as the agent blinked before appearing to think about something.

“You should be able to do so. I’m rather surprised that you ladies have put so much thought into this.”He admitted, Angel and Juliette snorting lightly as they all walked outside.

“You’re not the first person to say that. However, we really want to make this as much of a success as we can. With ten thousand square feet dedicated to each ‘part’ of the business we can do a lot and this lot is huge so we can do even more.”Angel explained, excitement in her voice as Juliette and the agent smiled.

“Once you find an inspector to look through the building, give me a call and we can come up with a date to show the inspector through the building.”He said, handing the girls his business card.

“Thank you Mister Jones.”Juliette said, shaking the man’s hand before Angel did the same.

Mister Jones closed up the gate as soon as they walked out of the lot and back to the truck. While Angel drove back to the apartment, Juliette sent a mass text to their friends, telling them that they found the potential, perfect location for their new business. They instantly received positive responses from everyone telling them that they were happy and if they needed any help with the renovation to give them a call and they’ll gladly help out…well everyone but Sans offered to help with the renovations. Back at the apartment, they instantly began looking up building inspectors that had good reviews and knew what to look for. They finally settled on a woman by the name of Miranda Johnson who specialized in inspecting buildings that buyers wanted to convert to restaurants. They made a note to call the woman in the morning when Miranda was available. They really hoped that if anything is wrong with the building it’ll be an easy fix.

The next few days were filled with meetings with Miranda and Mister Jones. Miranda walked through the building with two others who worked for her company along with Mister Jones and the ladies. Miranda got access to the storage rooms, the roof and all of the other areas which were normally off limits to the public. Angel and Juliette were relieved that the foundation was solid and didn’t need any repair, though the roof needs to be redone as it is showing early signs of beginning to leak. They would also need to update the heating and cooling systems and, for what they wanted to do, they would need to rip out the insulation and add in new, soundproof insulation. Miranda gave them plenty of tips as to what they would need to do and even gave them a card for a company that specializes in renovations for restaurants and could get them the equipment that they would need as well.

Armed with Miranda’s advice, they managed to haggle with Mister Jones and the owners of the property and building. They managed to get the place ten thousand lower than what the owner was asking for and both parties came away happy. When the ladies told the others, all of them celebrated at Frisk’s house with a wonderful home cooked meal by Toriel. It was also at the celebration that Angel and Juliette finally got to find out why everyone loved Toriel’s butterscotch-cinnamon pie. When she walked out with the pie, both of them were nearly salivating at the scent alone. Sans and Frisk gave them knowing looks before Frisk took the first slice which signaled to everyone else that they could begin to eat as well.

Angel and Juliette nearly moaned aloud at the first bite of their piece of pie. Toriel blushed when they told her how good the pie was and she smiled indulgently as they ravenously devoured their slice. It felt as if all of their worries, fears and stress just melted from their very souls; leaving them feeling peaceful and at ease with everything. Their very souls felt lighter and they felt as if they could take on anything with ease. When Toriel explained that she made pies for everyone to take home, there were cheers all around and Angel and Juliette eagerly hugged Toriel in thanks. She had quickly become a motherly figure to them after their very first meeting with the goat monster. It didn’t matter how old they are, she still mothered them and worried about their health and if they were eating enough. Toriel loved all of them and had told them both that she was glad that Sans and Papyrus had become friends with them and had introduced them to the others. She knew how hard it is for the others to make friends with humans, especially since they’ve moved to South Lyon.

However, the happiness couldn’t last forever. It was the middle of October and Juliette was visiting Toriel and Frisk. She had come over to visit and just talk with Toriel when Frisk came home from a friend’s house. He closed the door behind him and smiled brightly when he saw Juliette, running over and hugging her tightly. Juliette laughed and hugged him back, easily lifting him and setting him down on the couch beside her. It was slightly off-putting at the fact that Frisk is only a few inches shorter than her, but she’s savoring the feeling of not being the shortest one in their group. She and Alphys were pretty close in height as well, with Alphys only being an inch or two taller than her. Frisk squirmed lightly before beaming at Toriel when she brought him a glass of juice.

“Did you have fun at James’ house?”Toriel asked, sitting down in her rocking chair.

[ _Yeah! He wants to come with us when we go trick-or-treating. His mom was wondering if he could spend the night even. She has to work that night and so does his dad._ ]Frisk signed, making sure to keep his hands slow so Juliette could understand him.

Ever since that first day when she and Angel hung out with Frisk and the others, she and Angel were taking ASL classes at the local rec-center. They wanted to be able to understand what Frisk was talking about without having to rely on the others to constantly translate or having Frisk write down everything he was saying. Things were progressing nicely and they were picking up on the lessons quickly much to Frisk’s excitement. He was also more than happy helping them by going over what they already know and teaching them different gestures and what they meant. Juliette blinked when her phone rang, in which she quickly stood and excused herself. Walking into the kitchen, she pulled out her phone and frowned when she saw that it was an unfamiliar number. She thought about ignoring it but shook her head and answered the call, bringing her phone up to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Doctor Henry Fletcher at Providence Medical Center. Is this Juliette Thorn?”

Juliette felt her heart sink and grabbed onto the counter as her world began to narrow. She never registered when Toriel and Frisk walked into the kitchen and looked at her with worry.

“Y-Yes, this is she.”She breathed, struggling to keep her voice calm.

“Miss Thorn, your friend Miss Angel Kross was brought into the emergency room an hour ago.”

“What?! What happened? Is she okay?”Juliette cried, her voice becoming hysterical as Toriel rushed over and grabbed onto her shoulders as her legs threatened to give out.

“Miss Kross is currently in surgery. She was in a car accident and the other car hit her side and caused her truck to flip twice. The entire left side of her body is bruised and her left arm was broken in four places. She also has a few broken ribs and a concussion. I tried calling her parents but they weren’t answering so I called you instead. You’re listed as her secondary emergency contact.”

“Oh God.”Juliette moaned, sinking to her knees as Toriel went down with her and told Frisk to bring her the phone.

“We expect Miss Kross to come out of surgery just fine but she would most likely wish to see someone she knows.”

“Y-Yes…yes of course. I-I’ll be there as soon as I can.”Juliette stammered, her heart thundering in her chest as Frisk ran over and handed Toriel her phone.

Juliette listened as Doctor Fletcher informed her which entrance to come through and who to speak to. She promised to be there soon before hanging up, tears falling from her eyes as Frisk barreled into her and hugged her tightly. When Frisk squeezed her tightly, Juliette finally registered that Toriel was talking rapidly to someone on the phone.

“No, I’m not sure what happened…Could you get here soon? Alright, see you in a second.”She said, hanging up only to make another call.

Juliette blinked when Sans and Papyrus suddenly appeared in the living room, her eyes wide as they looked around frantically before they hurried over to her. Without thinking, Papyrus swept the small woman into his arms, closing his eyes as her hands gripped onto his shirt tightly. Sans looked at Juliette worriedly as Toriel talked to Alphys; though he blinked when Frisk lightly tugged on his hoodie.

[ _She hasn’t said what happened._ ]He said, Sans blinking before he nodded.

“Jules, Jules what happened? Is Angel okay?’He asked, watching as his brother carefully set the woman down and she staggered slightly.

“S-She was in a car accident. Her truck…i-it flipped twice when the other vehicle hit. She got a broken arm and broken ribs. She’s in surgery right now. I can only assume the truck it totaled.”Juliette said, her body trembling as Sans wrapped an arm around her.

“Alphys and Undyne will be here any minute. All of us can go to the hospital together.”Toriel said, her voice gentle as Juliette looked at her.

“O-Okay…Thanks.”Juliette said, leaning into Sans and letting him comfort her.

It was only a minute later when the front door opened and Alphys and Undyne hurried in. They were quickly brought up to speed on what happened before Toriel ushered everyone outside. Toriel ended up driving Frisk, Sans, Papyrus and Juliette while Undyne and Alphys followed on Undyne’s motorcycle. Juliette leaned into Frisk as he sat next to her, struggling to keep herself calm. While Doctor Fletcher had said that Angel is okay, she couldn’t help but worry about her friend. She knew that Angel would go nuts with a cast on, but if Papyrus suddenly healed her then questions would be asked and others might try and force Papyrus to heal others. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to be used like that. She knows from experience that using too much magic can cause the user to collapse. She had it happen to herself when she was younger and beginning to learn how to control her powers.

“She’ll be okay, Jules.”Sans said, making the woman blink and look at him.

“…I hope so…She whispered, closing her eyes as Sans lightly rubbed her back.

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	4. Recovering and Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I know you all hate me for what I had happen to Angel. However, it needed to happen! I swear I’ll hold off on the angst for a little while, perhaps even for an entire chapter! So, my friend Angel officially knows she is now a part of this story and she’s rather happy about it too. I asked her personally who she wanted to be with, if anyone in this story, and she explained that she likes Pap. So, there will be more bonding between Angel and Papyrus and Juliette and Sans. I don’t plan on them getting together until, possibly, chapter six or seven. I still have no idea how long this story will be. I have a ton of ideas for this and even a possible sequel that details their lives after this story; we’ll see. More characters from the game will appear as the story advances and there will be plenty of twists and adventure and action! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! There’ll be plenty of bonding and fluff in this one!
> 
> Dedications: I would like to dedicate this chapter to Rajani who has made a wonderful drawing of Juliette! You can find it on deviantart under Juliette Thorn Fanart or by searching for septragirl. Thank you so much Rajani for making Juliette come to life even more!

-Thoughts-

_ Text _

_[Signing]_

_Emphasis on words_

 

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When they arrived at the hospital, Juliette hardly waited until Toriel parked before she unbuckled and Sans and the others got out. She scrambled out of the backseat and hurried to the door of the building, the others following her. Toriel actually grabbed her hand, forcing Juliette to slow down as she looked up at the monster with wide eyes. Toriel smiled at her gently and they walked over to the front desk. The receptionist gasped when she saw all of them; her eyes wide as she looked at them before she focused on Juliette as the woman cleared her throat. She flushed at the look of anger in Juliette’s eyes and forced herself not to shrink back when Sans stepped closer.

“We’re here for Angel Kross. I was told that I could talk to Doctor Fletcher.”Juliette said, making the woman blink before she typed something on her computer.

“Name?”She asked, glancing up at Juliette.

“Juliette Thorn.”

“Doctor Fletcher is in surgery right now. He should be out in twenty minutes. If you’ll take a seat I’ll let him know that you’re here.”She said, nodding towards the waiting area.

Juliette bit her tongue to keep herself from demanding to see Doctor Fletcher and allowed Undyne and Sans to lead her towards the chairs. She sat down and instantly began shifting and twisting her hands in nervousness. Sans sat on one side of her while Frisk took the other chair; both of them worried at the fear in her eyes. All of them know that Angel and Juliette are close, but they had never seen this amount of fear and worry in either of them. Sans attempted to put himself in Juliette’s place. What if it was Papyrus who had gotten in a car accident and had gotten hurt? Instantly, he winced when he felt the sheer terror and hopelessness that Juliette must be going through. Toriel and Alphys left to get everyone something to eat and drink while Papyrus and Undyne talked softly. However, everyone stopped when a few police officers walked into the lobby and spoke with the receptionist before looking over and heading towards Juliette. Juliette swallowed heavily and stood up as the officers walked towards her.

“Miss Thorn?”One of the officers asked, looking at the group with a critical eye before looking at Juliette.

“Yes, Officers?”She asked, swallowing nervously as Sans and Frisk took her hands.

“I’m Officer Bradly and this is my partner Officer Fay. We’re here to tell you what happened to your friend.”The first officer said, removing his hat and revealing dark brown hair.

“From eyewitnesses Miss Kross had just started driving through a four-way intersection when a semi-truck failed to stop at the red light. The truck hit the driver’s side section of your friend’s tuck. The resulting hit caused the truck to careen to the side and, we’re guessing that Miss Kross tried to prevent her truck from hitting the other drivers and her actions caused the truck to flip.”Officer Fay said, removing her hat and brushing a few strands of blonde hair away from her face.

“W-What happened to the other driver?”Juliette asked, squeezing Frisk’s and Sans’ hands.

“We questioned him and discovered that he had fallen asleep at the wheel. He’s a truck driver and was returning from a long haul. He was already behind schedule so thought he could make it back and simply sleep once he finished his route. Apparently he has been awake for two days and only took a few ten minute naps between those times. He is perfectly safe and unharmed except for a few bruises. He has already explained that he will take full blame for the cause of the accident and is willing to pay for Miss Kross’ truck and her medical bills.”Officer Bradly explained, watching as Juliette sighed and closed her eyes.

“Was anyone else hurt in the accident?”Toriel asked, making the officers blink and look at her.

“No, nothing too bad. Another car was ‘tapped’ when Miss Kross’ truck was hit but everyone else was unharmed.”

There was a collective sigh of relief in the fact that no one else was harmed and Juliette quickly supplied her and Angel’s information to the officers so the other driver could get in touch with them once Angel was released. After that the officers left and the others fell silent once more. Things were tense in the waiting room, especially when others kept glancing at Sans and the others with varying expressions. Juliette was tempted to flip them all off, but she didn’t want to create more of a scene and potentially be kicked out of the hospital. She could tell that Sans and the others were becoming uncomfortable and she hated it. She hated how people couldn’t seem to get over the fact that monsters came in so many different races, sizes and types. She blinked when she felt Sans gently squeeze her hand, making her look over at the skeleton. Sans simply gave her a small smile, making her swallow and relax slightly.

Time passed slowly for the group and Sans headed out to get them all something other than snacks to eat. Juliette wondered how he left since he and Papyrus had…teleported?, to the house. However, she figured that he could easily teleport himself anywhere he wanted. He returned a few minutes later carrying bags and a drink carrier from McDonalds. The others were grateful for the food, though Toriel frowned her disapproval at the fast food. However, she didn’t say anything as everyone happily dug in and talked quietly. Not long after they finished eating and threw away their trash a middle aged man walked through the double doors leading further into the hospital. Everyone watched as he spoke with the receptionist who pointed towards Juliette. He nodded and walked over, making the others straighten and watch him approach.

“Miss Thorn? I’m Doctor Fletcher.”He said, holding his hand out to Juliette.

“Hello, Doctor. How is she?”Juliette asked, worry in her voice as Doctor Fletcher sat down in the chair across from her.

“Miss Kross is doing just fine. The surgery to correct her arm went well and we’ve already prescribed some pain medicine for her. Her left side is already heavily bruised and I would suggest she limit her movement. Her ribs should heal on their own in a month or so.”Doctor Fletcher said, the others visibly relaxing.

“Is she awake?”Papyrus asked, watching as the doctor looked at him and smiled faintly.

“She should be waking up in a few minutes. Now, I ask that only three people go in at a time.”He answered, watching as everyone looked at each other before nodding.

Juliette, Papyrus and Frisk stood, though Sans handed Frisk something that made the boy blink before smiling brightly. The trio followed Doctor Fletcher out of the lobby and through the hallways. He showed them to a private room where Angel was lying on a bed dressed in a hospital gown with a sheet drawn up to her chest. Her left arm was bent and covered in a cast and her left leg was exposed and was wrapped in a foam splint. There were minor cuts on Angels’ upper arm, some of which had been stitched and bandaged while others had simply been cleaned and bandaged. Her entire left side, that they could see, was steadily turning a deep blueish/purple color mixed with dark greens and yellows. There was no doubt that the redhead would be in severe pain when the pain killers wore off. Juliette walked over and clutched onto the rails of Angel’s bed, looking at her friend with tears in her eyes.

“Oh, Angel…”She sighed, reaching over and gently brushing a few strands of hair from her friend’s face.

Doctor Fletcher left after asking them to call for him when she wakes up. Frisk revealed that Sans had given him Monster Candy, which wouldn’t heal Angel’s wounds right away but the candy would work slowly at speeding up the process. She thanked them before focusing on Angel, her eyes widening when her friend moaned softly and moved slightly. Frisk and Papyrus shifted close, though when Angel’s eyes flickered open Papyrus hurried out of the room to get Doctor Fletcher. Angel blinked a few times, her eyes dazed and unfocused as she turned her head towards Juliette and Frisk.

“J-Jules…?”She whispered, her voice raspy as Juliette swallowed tightly.

“It’s okay, Angel. I’m here. You’re safe.”Juliette said, reaching over and gently taking Angels’ hand in her own.

“What happened?”Angel whispered, wincing as her throat protested.

“Miss Kross, it’s good to see you’re awake. I’m Doctor Fletcher.”The man said, walking into the room with Papyrus following him.

“Where am I?”Angel asked, her eyes becoming focused as she looked at the doctor.

“You’re in Providence Medical Center. You were in a car accident and your truck flipped twice.”He explained, watching as Angel frowned before her eyes widened in recognition.

“Is everyone okay? Did anyone else get hurt?”She asked, panic rising in her voice.

“Calm down, Miss Kross. You were the only one injured in the accident. You broke your left arm in four places and have two broken ribs. Your left side his heavily bruised and we’ve put your left leg in a splint for now but that’s so you keep your weight off of it for the most part.”Doctor Fletcher explained, watching as Angel listened closely before nodding.

Angel asked a few questions before Doctor Fletcher left, though she wasn’t happy when he explained that they wanted to keep her overnight just incase something happened. When he left, Angel blinked when she saw the tears in Juliette’s eyes, making her weakly squeeze her friend’s hand.

“Don’t cry, Jules. I’ll be okay. We were planning on taking it easy anyway.”She said, smiling as Juliette let out a watery chuckle.

“The driver who caused the accident is willing to pay for the truck damages and your medical bills. He feels horrible for what happened.”Juliette said, wiping at her eyes as Angel nodded.

“Okay. That’ll certainly help a lot. Do my parents know what happened?”She asked, watching as Juliette blinked.

“I don’t know. Doctor Fletcher had tried calling them first but they never picked up.”

“Damn…I think they’ve already gone on that cruise they were saving up for. They wanted me to go too but we were still working at Blue Moon when they and my siblings left. I don’t know if they’re phones work on the ship.”Angel said, the others nodding.

“Look, Angel! Sans brought you Monster Candy!”Papyrus cried, making Angel blink before she smiled brightly.

“Thanks Pap.”She said, watching as Juliette took the piece of candy and unwrapped it.

She happily took the small piece of purple confection from her friend and popped it into her mouth, sighing at the taste of blueberry. A cool sensation washed through her body the more she sucked on the sweet; her muscles relaxing as the candy went to work. Papyrus and Frisk visited for a few more minutes before they left so others could visit. Angel and Juliette talked about their need for a new car since the beast had been totaled; in which Juliette promised that she would bring their friend Dylan with her when she went to a dealership to get a new car. Dylan Ross is a friend of theirs from high school, someone whom Juliette met in her history class. While he can be an ass at times, he’s a good guy and knew his way around vehicles and technology. Juliette sent a text to the man and got a phone call in response where he demanded to know what happened and if Angel’s okay. When they reassured him that she was fine, he promised to come by in a few days to take her up to the local dealership to look for a new car.

Sans and Toriel were the next to visit, in which Toriel gently hugged Angel while Sans began cracking jokes and telling puns. Angel laughed softly, mindful of her ribs even though the candy was doing its job. When Juliette questioned Sans about his ability to teleport, Angel was wide eyed when he shrugged and explained that it was something he could do because of his magic. He almost always used it to get around whenever he needed to or whenever he was too lazy to drive. Sans grinned at the surprised looks and shrugged, though he produced a sharpie and signed Angel’s cast, though he couldn’t resist the urge and ended up writing a pun on her cast as well. Toriel also signed Angel’s cast and handed the sharpie to Juliette so she could as well. Once that was done, Toriel and Sans left, allowing Undyne and Alphys to visit. Both women signed Angel’s cast as well, and happily talked about their jobs in order to distract the redhead.

Sadly the nurse came and told everyone to leave; that Angel needs her rest after her surgery. All of them promised to visit her tomorrow when they could before they were shooed out of the room. Juliette sighed in relief and fully relaxed now that her friend is awake and okay. Yes, there still is the fact that Angel would be confined to limited movements, which would drive her friend insane, but at least she had gotten out of the accident alive and with only a few broken bones. Back in the waiting room, they all headed out of the hospital and walked back to the vehicles. Juliette thanked all of them for being there and helping her out, to which they waved her thanks away and explained that they would always be there for her because she and Angel are their friends. Toriel drove Juliette back to the apartment, though the woman smiled lightly and reassured the others that she would be fine alone.

Getting out of the car, she waved before heading up to her apartment and unlocked the door. Shade whined and looked around as if looking for Angel, though Juliette smiled sadly and patted his head, telling him that she would be back tomorrow. Juliette puttered around the apartment; cleaning up the bathrooms and kitchen, which included cleaning out the fridge of any leftovers or other food items that had gone bad. She pulled out all of their food and drinks before filling one section of the sink with hot, soapy water. She worked silently in cleaning the shelves of the fridge before she took a scrubby to the parts of the fridge that she couldn’t pull out. Putting the shelves back together, Juliette restocked the fridge and closed it before going through the cupboards and organizing it. Yes, she knew she was cleaning for the sake of keeping her mind occupied, but she couldn’t help it. If she didn’t keep busy then her mind would come up with what could’ve happened to Angel; something she didn’t want to think about.

It was two hours after she arrived home when someone knocked on the door. Blinking, Juliette frowned and walked out of her bedroom where she had been going through her clothing and putting away clothes that no longer fit her. Walking to the door, she unlocked it and pulled it open, blinking when she saw Sans standing there with his hands shoved into his pockets.

“Sans? What are you doing here?”She asked, tilting her head to the side as the skeleton shrugged lightly.

“I thought you could use some company.”He said, his voice filled with understanding as Juliette blinked before nodding slowly.

“S-Sure. C’mon.”She said, moving to the side and letting him into the apartment.

Sans chuckled as Shade hurried over and greeted him, to which he patted the dog’s head and scratched behind his ears. Juliette got him a can of soda and they settled down on the sectional; Juliette tucking her feet underneath her. Sans agreed to watch a movie, in which Juliette decided on The Labyrinth. Sans was greatly interested in the plot of the movie and chuckled a few times during the movie. However, when he felt a weight settle on his arm, shoulder and side, he looked over and blinked. Juliette had fallen asleep against him, her head resting on his shoulder as she leaned against him. A faint, blue blush rose to his cheekbones as he looked at her, but he made no movement to wake her up. Instead, he spotted the small basket of light blankets and used his magic to bring one over. Flicking his wrist, the blanket settled around Juliette and she muttered softly as she settled further against Sans, her breathing deepening slightly.

-I’ll let her sleep for a little while.-He thought, turning his attention back to the movie.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

Angel was practically climbing the walls by the time Sans and Juliette returned to the hospital the next day. She was given her prescription to pick up from the store and a list of instructions on what she could and couldn’t do now that she has a cast. She was also given a list of exercises to do in order to strengthen her leg once more and other instructions. Juliette had brought her a change of clothing and helped Angel get dressed in the bathroom attached to the room she was in. Angel huffed and complained about needing help, but she knew that she couldn’t do anything about it until she was able to get the splint off her leg. After getting dressed, she was discharged from the hospital and hobbled her way outside with Juliette and Sans beside her. However, she was confused when she didn’t see a car.

“We took a cab here.”Juliette explained, making Angel sigh and cringe at the thought of taking a cab.

“Ya know, I can easily take you two back to the apartment. I can teleport directly into the living room if you’d want.”Sans said, shrugging lightly as the pair looked at him in surprise.

“Really?!”Angel asked, excitement in her voice as Sans nodded.

“Sure. I can’t teleport to somewhere I’ve never been so I can’t bring you to your room. You’ll also need to have a good grip on me. Don’t want you getting lost in the void.”He said, Angel and Juliette looking at each other before nodding.

“That’d make things a lot easier until I get a car. Thank you, Sans.”Juliette said, smiling as a faint blush rose to Sans’ cheekbones even though he just shrugged again.

They headed towards a secluded area where there wasn’t much traffic. Sans didn’t feel comfortable teleporting in front of others unless it was absolutely necessary. Once they were hidden from most of the public eye, Sans turned to Angel and gripped her shirt at her sides. She gripped onto his shoulder tightly with her right hand and tucked her left arm close to her own body. Juliette blinked when the pair suddenly…’blinked’ out of existence. Sans returned a minute later, standing directly in front of her. She swallowed nervously as he held open his arms for her. Moving close, she carefully gripped his shoulders as he placed his hands on her hips.

“You’re gonna have to hold on tighter than that, Jules.”He said, his voice a low rumble as Juliette suppressed a shudder and gripped his shoulders more tightly.

“This okay?”She asked, Sans nodding as he gripped her hips tightly.

“Hold on tight.”He said, his left eye flaring cyan as he drew on his magic.

The world around Juliette became black and a feeling of dread filling her for every second she spent in the darkness. Thankfully, the world around her came into view and she realized that she’s standing in the center of her living room, near the coffee table. However, she also realized that during her trip, she had pulled herself flush up against Sans with her face buried against his chest. Her cheeks turned bright red as she stepped back, clearing her throat awkwardly as Sans stepped back and shifted. Angel, from her spot on the sectional, grinned which made Juliette glare at her though it didn’t have any effect of course.

“Thanks, Sans. That was…interesting.”She said, looking up at the skeleton’s face.

“Sorry about any discomfort. The void’s never a nice place though you slowly get used to it the more you teleport.”He said, the two women nodding.

“Well, I’ll head off. Just call or text if you need anything. I’m sure Pap and the others will be by sometime to see you now that you’re out.”Sans said, Angel smiling as she looked at him.

“Sounds nice. Talk to you later, Sans.”She said, waving as Juliette smiled at him.

“See ya, bone boy.”She said, watching as Sans blinked before chuckling and teleporting out of the living room.

Angel smirked at her friend, watching as Juliette walked to the kitchen and grabbed some of the takeout menus and pulled out her phone. After confirming Angel’s order with her, she placed their order for Little Casers. She then took Shade outside to run around for a few minutes while Angel turned on the T.V. and hunted for something to watch. Outside, Juliette sighed as she watched Shade run around, smiling as he frolicked just like he had done as a puppy when Angle had first gotten him. Laughing, she watched as Shade picked up a stick and carried it over to her. Releasing the lock on the dog’s leash so he’d be able to go some distance from her, she accepted the stick and tossed it, watching as Shade ran after it. They played fetch for a little while before Shade finally walked towards their building. Walking up the stairs, she unlatched Shade from his harness and got him out of it. Just before she went to close the door, she spotted the delivery car for their pizza. Grinning, she stooped down and picked up her wallet just as the delivery woman jogged up the steps.

Angel watched as Juliette pulled out enough money to pay for the pizza and gave the delivery woman a decent tip as well. Closing the door, Juliette set down their pizza and breadsticks on the coffee table before going to the kitchen and getting them both something to drink and paper towels. They happily chatted about different things as they ate and poked fun at some of the shows that were on. However, they finally broached the subject of Halloween.

“Now that my arm’s busted and I’m in this splint I can go to Erebus.”Angel sighed, Juliette frowning lightly.

“You can still go of course! You could get Dylan or another one of our friends to go with you.”She added, blinking when her friend sighed and shook her head.

“It wouldn’t feel right going without you, Angel. We can give our tickets to Dylan and his girlfriend: Linda. They love haunted houses and such but the tickets are so expensive that they haven’t been able to go yet.”Juliette said, smiling as Angel blinked and looked at her.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I’ll give the ticket to Dylan when he comes over tomorrow to take me to the dealership. We can pass out candy this year to the kids.”Juliette said, smiling as Angel leaned against her.

They chatted about their other friends like Dylan, Alyssa, Cole and a few others who they know from high school. There were only a few friends of Angel’s that Juliette had really formed a bond with, but she got along with most of them. After they finished eating, Juliette cleaned up the mess and took the pizza boxes out to the dumpster. She waved to a few of their neighbors before heading back inside. Inside, she helped Angel remove her splint and make her way to the bathroom. Angel struggled to get undressed, but managed without too much help. However, she muttered and complained under her breath when Juliette returned with a plastic bag that was quickly attached to her cast with bands of Juliette’s magic. Getting into the shower, Angel sighed as the hot water soothed her aching muscles.

She hated this, hated feeling incompetent due to her broken arm. However, she knew that it’s not her fault. Inside the shower, she allowed herself to mourn the loss of her beloved truck. She had loved that truck; it had been her first vehicle and she had loved it. Now, her truck is gone and they need to get another, new car. It’ll also be awhile before she’s able to get out and move around as freely as she wants. There was no doubt that Juliette would try and make sure she didn’t strain herself; something that’ll slowly get on her nerves even though she knows that Juliette just wants the best for her. Finishing her shower, she sighed at the feeling of being clean once more. Stepping out, she carefully dried off, hissing as the towel brushed against her scabbed over cuts. Once she was dried off, she opened the bathroom door and called out of Juliette. Her friend walked in with the first aid kit and began the process of applying disinfectant to some of her cuts that had opened during the shower before wrapping them and those that are stitched together with bandages.

“I really hope the Monster Candy does its job.”Angel muttered, making Juliette smile gently.

“If Pap is up for it, do you want to see if he’d be willing to heal your ribs?”She asked, looking up at her friend.

“I don’t want anyone to think we’re friends with him just because his healing magic. I’d rather let him offer instead of asking.”Angel said, Juliette nodding her head in agreement.

After Angel was bandaged, she dressed and Juliette put the splint back on her leg. Angel followed Juliette to the living room and sprawled out on the sectional. Shade laid down on the floor by the sectional while Trixie jumped up onto Juliette’s lap when the woman settled down on the recliner. She found a movie that they hadn’t seen in a while and they both settled down to watch. Halfway through the movie, Juliette looked over and smiled when she saw that Angel had fallen asleep. Using her magic, she levitated a blanket over to her friend and settled it on top of her. It was only a few seconds after that when her phone buzzed with a new text.

Papyrus: _How is Angel doing?_

Juliette: _She’s okay, Pap. She just fell asleep on the couch._

Papyrus: _Do you want me to come over to help care for her?_

Juliette: _Thank you but I’ve got it covered for now. I bought some Monster Candy earlier today. How about you and the others come over tomorrow for dinner? I’ll be making my homemade seven cheese lasagna._

Papyrus: _That sounds wonderful! I’ll let the others know once you tell me what time you want us over!_

Juliette chuckled softly and exited out of her text log. She had planned on making her lasagna anyway and thought that the others might enjoy it as well. Normally she and Angel would be eating leftovers for nearly a week or so since there was so much left even if they had two slices. It was a recipe that her uncle had taught her and she had fallen in love with the dish the first time she had it. Angel had fallen in love with it as well and she knew that her friend would love having the lasagna and having their friends over. It’d keep her entertained and hopefully keep her happy and cheerful. Shaking herself, she quickly brought up a new text log and texted Dylan.

Juliette: _Hey. What time do you wanna come over tomorrow?_

Dylan: _Around noon. I don’t work so we can spend as long as we need getting you a new car._

Juliette: _Thanks. I’ll pay for gas and lunch._

Dylan: _Sounds like a good deal. How’s Angel?_

Juliette: _Tired and already annoyed with what she can and cannot do. I have a feeling that she’ll be going insane by the time tomorrow morning comes around._

Dylan: _I thought she was already insane_

Juliette: _Oh ha, ha, ha, Dylan. Very funny. You know what I mean_

Dylan: _Lol. Yeah, I know. Anyway, g2g, dinner._

Juliette shook her head and deleted the thread since she knew what time Dylan’s coming over now. She would need to make the lasagna before he came to get her. It would take her a little while to make it and then it’ll need a few hours to cook slowly in order to properly cook the pasta and cheese. Smiling, she set her phone down on the side table and lightly stroked Trixie’s head, closing her eyes as she relaxed and let all the worry and stress melt away from her. Yes, there will be some struggle with Angel being in a cast, along with getting in contact with the driver of the semi-truck that hit Angel’s truck. She was glad that no one else had gotten hurt and that the driver was more than willing to take responsibility for his actions.

Juliette jerked awake, her eyes wide as she looked around. The T.V. is still playing, though it’s playing a different movie from the one that had been playing when she must’ve dozed off. Groaning softly, she ran a hand down her face before nudging Trixie off her lap, making the feline glare at her before jumping to the ground and heading off towards the kitchen. Putting down the footrest, she stood and stretched, sighing in relief when her back popped slightly. Looking over at Angel, she smiled when she saw the other woman still sleeping. Shade stood and walked over to the door, sitting down in front of it as he looked at her. Chuckling, she pocketed her phone and strapped Shade into his harness. She decided to take him to the dog run near the club house to let him burn off more energy. Snagging a light jacket, she took Shade outside and they cut through the lawns in order to get to the dog run. She was surprised to see a few other dogs already running around, but she smiled none the less and slipped inside the dog run and unclipped Shade’s leash.

Shade barked and took off, heading towards the other dogs eagerly while Juliette slipped out of the fenced in area and sat down on one of the benches. There was an elderly man sitting down with a younger man beside him, the pair talking and chuckling on another bench. On the second bench is a rather distracted woman who is scrolling through her phone and worrying her lower lip. Looking around, she blinked when another man, around her age from the looks of him, walked over and let in a rather beautiful Husky into the dog run. Shade and the other two dogs hurried over to greet the newcomer before they all running around barking and chasing each other. She chuckled at the dogs antics, shaking her head fondly. However, she stiffened slightly when the man walked over and sat down on the other end of the bench. Glancing at him, she offered a faint smile when he looked at her and smiled warmly.

She looked back towards the dogs, shifting as she felt the man staring at her. This is why she generally didn’t want to come to the dog run even though she knew that it’s good for Shade to run around and make friends. She continued to watch Shade for a few more minutes before he trotted over to the fence and stared at her. Smiling, Juliette got up and reattached the leash to Shade’s harness before letting him out of the dog run. They headed back to the apartment and she sighed softly as soon as the door was closed and locked behind her. Being around others, especially strangers, always made her a bit nervous. However, what she hated the most was whenever someone stared at her like that other man was doing. She had a feeling that he had been hoping to strike up a friendly conversation with her, but she wasn’t good at making small-talk with others. It was amazing that she had become friends so quickly with Sans and the others.

Looking over at Angel, she blinked and smiled when she saw her friend beginning to wake up. Angel groaned and looked at her, her eyes unfocused as she slowly sat up.

“C’mon, Angel. Let’s get you something to nibble on so you can take your meds.”She said, giggling when Angel groaned and ran a hand through her hair.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

“So what kind of car did you get?”Undyne asked, watching as Juliette carried a large pan of homemade lasagna over to the table.

“It’s a nice, two-thousand-eleven Chevy Malibu. Dylan was a godsend when trying to pick out a car from the small car sales lot in town.”Juliette answered, heading back to the kitchen and grabbing a large bowl of mashed potatoes and peas.

“It’s good that someone was able to help you pick out a good car.”Toriel said, smiling as Juliette sat down between her and Sans.

Everyone soon dug in once they had their drinks and Juliette flushed when praise came from everyone when they tried her lasagna. Angel grinned at her friend, chuckling when Juliette glared lightly at her. Everyone talked about what they’ve been up to and any plans they had in store for the next few days. Frisk eagerly talked about his friend James and their plans for Halloween, which then led to him talking about his costume and what the others were planning on doing for the holiday. Toriel and Asgore would be taking Frisk and his friend around the neighborhoods and town for trick-or-treating though the others didn’t really have any plans. Angel explained that the apartment complex was doing trunk-or-treating in which residents sat next to their cars with the trunks open and gave candy to the trick-or-treaters. The others were rather interested and Frisk eagerly promised that he would stop by to say hi.

“What were your plans before the accident?”Asgore asked, his deep voice soothing as the girls looked at him.

“Well, we did have tickets to this three story haunted house in Detroit called Erebus. It’s supposed to be super scary and a lot of fun. However, with my leg in a splint and my ribs on the mend, I didn’t want to chance having to go up and down stairs too much.”Angel said, the others nodding in understanding.

“I didn’t want to go alone since scary houses make me jump. We ended up giving our tickets to our friend Dylan and his girlfriend. He was rather happy.”Juliette said, flushing lightly as the others looked at her with interest.

“Are there other haunted attractions?”Sans asked, interest in his voice as Angel and Juliette nodded.

“There are tons! Haunted mazes, hayrides, houses, you name it! There’s one in Novi that’s a haunted hike where guests walk through a path through the woods and actors try and scare you and there’s props and such. There’s also a hayride here in South Lyon where a group is sitting on the back of a wagon and they’re taken through a property where actors jump out and scare you and enact rather terrifying scenes.”Angel gushed, Undyne grinning as she listened.

“Sounds like something I’d like to try.”She said, watching as Alphys looked at her wide-eyed.

“R-Really?”She asked, slight fear in her voice.

“Don’t worry, Alphys. No one gets hurt; just terrified. The actors don’t really even touch you, maybe just tug on your jacket or feet to give you a little fright. In Erebus you actually get grabbed and separated from your group. There’s emergency exits throughout the entire place though incase you get too scared.”Juliette explained, Alphys nodding lightly.

“Sounds like something that’s a little too much for someone as young as Frisk.”Toriel said, making the boy frown as he took a bite of his potatoes.

“There are some attractions that are geared towards kids. They’re not nearly as scary.”Angel said, smiling as the boy beamed at her.

“Sounds like it’d be fun to try.”Sans said, making Angel blink before she thought of something rather…devious.

It was rather obvious to her that Juliette has a crush on Sans. She had noticed that every time Sans texted Juliette, her friend would get this happy little smile on her face. Not to mention the lingering looks and blushes between the two. She thought that Sans has a crush on Juliette, but she wasn’t really sure at this point. However, she wouldn’t mind if Sans and Juliette got together, in fact she thought that they would make a rather cute couple. Mentally shaking herself, she glanced at Undyne and Alphys before her plan fully former.

“Hey, I have an idea. Instead of you being stuck around here, Jules, why don’t you, Alphys and Undyne go on the haunted hayride on Halloween?”She asked, smiling as Undyne blinked before beaming.

“Yeah! That sounds like a great idea!”She said, Alphys looking at her wide-eyed.

“B-But…”

“Don’t worry, babe. You can always hold onto me if you get too scared.”Undyne said, grinning as Alphys blushed something fierce as Juliette blinked.

“I wouldn’t want to be a third wheel…”She muttered, blinking when Undyne suddenly smiled.

“Sans can come with us! That way there’ll be a full group.”Undyne suggested, making Sans blink before he shrugged.

“Sounds like it could be fun.”He said, taking a bite of his lasagna.

“What about you and Papyrus?”Juliette asked, watching as Angel tilted her head to the side before her eyes lit up.

“Pap can come over and we can hang out! I can finally show you Nightmare Before Christmas and we can pass out candy to the kids.”Angel said, smiling as Papyrus beamed at her.

“That sounds like a _great_ idea!”Papyrus declared, making the others laugh and smile at him.

The rest of dinner passed with plenty of conversation and laughter. Asgore happily talked about his job at this little flower shop in town, which made Angel and Juliette smile. Toriel talked about the school and how the students were doing rather well and there hadn’t been too many problems besides a few protesters who tried to get onto the property but decided against it because it’s private property. Of course everyone scowled at learning that the protesters who got the smart idea to stand across from the school and shout abuse at the children and teachers. However, they were surprised when a group of humans and monsters lined the sidewalk in front of the school, creating a wall of bodies so the children didn’t have to see the protesters. The line of humans and monsters smiled at the children and passed out cards all day which told them how wonderful they were, how all of them are special and that they’re doing the right thing by not caring what the protesters were saying. The protesters had been enraged by this, but the sudden appearance of police made them think twice about attacking those who were encouraging the children.

“Everyone was moved by what those people and monsters were doing. We invited them all inside during lunch and many of them even played with the children during recess.”Toriel said, smiling as Angel and Juliette beamed.

“I’m glad people and monsters came together for those children. Children, no matter their race, are innocent and are easily influenced by adults. I really hope that the school doesn’t experience any more dirt bags like that.”Angel huffed, the others nodding as Toriel smiled gently.

“There will always be problems, Angel. However, what matters is that we overcome those problems and come out stronger because of them. I’ve finally found a respectable plumber who fixed our pipes a week ago and we’re gaining more and more staff members. I hope that we’ll be able to increase our numbers over the summer.”Toriel explained, the others smiling though there was an edge to Sans and Undyne’s smiles.

Juliette couldn’t believe that so many people hated Toriel’s school simply because it allowed humans and monsters to mingle and share classrooms. She remembered when the opening of the school was all over the news. It happened during the second year monsters had been out of Mt. Ebott. Relations had been improving but there had been a lot more anti-monster hate groups than there are now. It was common to see news stories of businesses being vandalized because they allowed monsters or hired monster or were even run by monsters. There were also daily reports of attacks on monsters and about kidnappings. Only when monsters were given more rights did those taper down, mostly because humans were now able to be sent to prison for harassment, assault and murder of a monster just like they would be if they had attacked or killed a fellow human. Toriel’s school had been the first of its kind and Juliette knew from recent news reports that another school like Toriel’s is going to be opening up in Detroit.

Conversation turned light and there was soon plenty of laughter as everyone talked about different hilarious stories they had gone through in their lives or had seen happen to someone else. Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys all agreed to come over on Halloween around four-thirty in the afternoon. Trick-or-treating wouldn’t begin until six in the evening and all of them admitted that they were rather interested in seeing a Nightmare Before Christmas, to which the girls smiled and said that it would be fun if they all watched it together. Angel then promised to show Papyrus Corpse Bride, to which he eagerly agreed to. Juliette confirmed with Sans, Undyne and Alphys that it would be best to go on the haunted hayride after it got dark as it enhanced the experience and made it even scarier.

After dinner, Toriel and Angel rinsed off the dishes and put them into the dishwasher while the others sprawled out in the living room. Juliette snagged her Lovesac pillow from her room, to which she sprawled out on only to laugh as Frisk joined her and instantly sunk into the comfortable, overly large pillow. When Toriel and Angel walked into the living room, Angel instantly put in The Pagemaster before flopping down on the other side of Frisk, grinning at him as she pressed play on the DVD player. She and Juliette grinned as they looked at each other, knowing that this would be something new for the others. Both of them had loved this movie as little kids and when they had seen it had come out for the DVD players they had jumped on the chance and had both purchased their own copy. As the movie began, Juliette jumped to her feet and hurried into the kitchen where she quickly made three bags of popcorn for all of them. Hurrying back out to the living room, she passed out the bowls and settled down just as the previews ended.

Throughout the movie the monsters and Frisk were in awe over the movie. They gasped and laughed or, in Undyne’s case, cried out warnings to the characters in the movie. Angel and Juliette smiled and added their own voices to the dialogue, making Frisk roll his eyes even though his smile was wide. It was a rather nice bonding moment for all of them and Angel and Juliette were pleased to see that Sans, Toriel and Asgore were even enjoying the movie. Both of them had worried at the three wouldn’t enjoy the movie as much as the others, but their fears were for naught. When the credits finally rolled, everyone was soon eagerly chatting about the movie and they asked Angel and Juliette plenty of questions about it. Both girls were more than happy to answer the questions if they could and could tell that the others were rather surprised in learning that the movie had come out when Juliette was four and Angel five.

“Movies are a lot more ‘pleasing’ to the eye nowadays. The animation is a lot smoother and the colors more…vibrant. However, we still think the classics are good.”Juliette said, smiling as everyone nodded eagerly.

“Do you have more movies like this?”Asgore asked, his eyes sparkling as the girls nodded.

“Of course!”

“We always collect them whenever we can. Disney has been releasing their classics onto DVD so we always snatch up a copy or two. Of course we also have the old VHS tapes.”Angel said, Juliette nodding her head happily.

“We should have a movie night once a week!”Papyrus cried, making the others laugh as Sans smiled warmly at his brother.

“We’ll try Pap. Remember, we all have work and the squirt here has school. I’m sure Angel and Jules have plans as well.”Sans said, watching as Papyrus sighed and nodded.

“You are right, brother.”He said, his voice holding a hint of sadness as the others looked at each other.

“How ‘bout every other week? We’ll be able to fit in one or two movies during that night so we’ll be able to move quickly through them. We can also switch whose house we can watch them at.”Angel suggested, smiling as the group smiled and voiced their agreements.

Juliette smiled as Papyrus hugged Angel, mindful of her cast and bruises. Looking over at Sans, she saw the relief in his eyes at someone having come up with a plan so his younger brother wouldn’t be disappointed and sad. It warmed her heart to see how devoted Sans and Papyrus were to each other. While many siblings were close, she could tell that they were nearly inseparable. It was apparent that Sans thought the world of his younger brother and Papyrus thought the world of Sans. Smiling, Juliette listened as Angel told the group about a few of the movies like The Sword in the Stone, The Black Cauldron and Fantasia. Of course they also talked about some of the movies that weren’t Disney but were just as good and that they would make sure found their way onto the list of movies to watch.

Sadly, all things must come to an end for a while. After everyone helped to clean up the living room, the others began leaving. Frisk complained about his project that he has to complete for school, in which Toriel rolled her eyes though her smile never faded. She thanked the girls for a wonderful dinner and she, Asgore and Frisk left. Sans and Papyrus were next to leave, in which Papyrus reminded his older brother that he has work in the morning, to which Sans groaned and shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, grumbling under his breath as Juliette and Angel laughed. Papyrus hugged them goodbye while Sans waved and nearly dragged his younger brother out of the apartment. Alphys and Undyne stayed for a little while longer in which Angel and Undyne talked about different workouts while Juliette showed Alphys her manga and anime collection. Alphys was more than happy when Juliette allowed her to borrow Howl’s Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke. When she and Undyne left, Angel took her medicine before taking a shower while Juliette took Shade out.

Juliette couldn’t believe that Angel had gotten her to go on a haunted hayride with Sans, Alphys and Undyne! Angel knew that haunted attractions terrified her, even though she still ended up having a good time during them. Whenever they went to a haunted attraction, she normally ended up clinging to Angel or even had her face buried in her friend’s back or shoulder. However, she doubted that she would be able to do that with Undyne who would most likely have her hands full with comforting Alphys and making sure she was alright. That only left Sans and she blushed at the thought of clinging to the skeleton. Shaking her head, she called to Shade and led him back inside. Trixie jumped into her arms and she carried her pet to her room and set her down on the bed. She turned around and headed to Angel’s room, chuckling as she helped her friend get her shirt on. Once Angel was settled, Juliette walked around and made sure everything was locked up before heading to bed herself. She curled up on her side, smiling as Trixie lay down against her back; her cat’s loud purrs lulling her to sleep.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

In the days leading up to Halloween, Angel and Juliette called the construction company and talked to them about what they wanted to do. Unfortunately, the owner of the company became hostile when he learned that they were planning on opening a monster friendly restaurant and club. Both of them made sure to mark off that company and sent the information to the creator of the site for monster friendly services as one for monsters to avoid. It took them two more tries before they found a construction company that was willing to do the job. They were rather happy for the job and explained that they had experience in doing projects for both restaurants and clubs. They did meet up with the owner of the small construction company at Vixen’s café where the owner, Luke Walters, brought along the interior designer who worked for the company. Vivian Morales was a fountain of information when it came to potential designs for their business and was more than happy when they explained how much room she and the company would be able to work with.

Luke and Vivian agreed to visit the property and building two days after Halloween which the girls were glad about. They were able to give Luke and Vivian the blueprints of the building, which meant they would be able to begin to design some rough sketches of possible layouts. The girls were rather eager to have found someone to help them design their business and Vivian had told them that she would be able to help them find someone who could help them with advertising and promoting their business. Angel was upset that she wouldn’t be able to help much during the renovations, but she understood none-the-less. Juliette told Luke and Vivian that she and their friends would be willing to help with some of the work, though Luke explained that their friends would most likely be allowed to help when it was time to paint and move in furniture rather than do actual construction.

The day before Halloween, Angel and Juliette were required at Toriel’s in order to help Frisk choose between two costumes. Frisk finally decided on the zombie pirate, in which Juliette promised to do his makeup before going trick-or-treating. Understandably, Frisk wasn’t too sure about Juliette being able to make him look terrifying, though she asked him to give her a chance to which he nodded. She and Angel decided to made goodie bags rather than pass out simple candy. They went to Walmart and bought five things of Halloween sugar cookie and chocolate chip cookie dough each. They wanted to be able to make around four hundred cookie and, when the others found out they promised to keep some cookies for the others. Back at the apartment, Juliette was cooking up a storm while Angel prepared the goodie bags for when the cookies were ready. The apartment was soon filled with the delicious scent of baking cookies though Juliette struggled to keep Angel from snagging raw dough.

Juliette commandeered the dining room table as the cooling area and shooed Angel out of the dining room and kitchen. Angel, free of her splint, took Shade outside and sighed as she carefully walked through the lawns with Shade beside her. Thanks to the Monster Candy and Toriel, her ribs are completely healed and the bruising is slowly beginning to fade from her skin. Toriel had practically demanded that she be allowed to heal her(Angel’s) ribs even though the redhead hadn’t wanted to put any strain on the kind monster. Toriel had simply smiled before following Angel into her bedroom so Angel could lift up her shirt to expose her ribs. It had been strange, feeling the warmth spreading through her ribcage as Toriel focused on healing her ribs. However, she had instantly felt better afterwards. She no longer has to worry about laughing too hard or breathing in too deeply.

Halloween finally came and everyone, including Frisk’s friend James showed up in droves at the girl’s apartment. It was crowded, but there was plenty of laughter and snacking. Everyone settled down and Juliette happily provided plenty of snack foods before popping in Nightmare Before Christmas. Angel, Juliette and James happily sang along during the movie, making the others laugh as they watched. Papyrus was overjoyed that Jack Skellington was the main character and that he was such an important person in the movie’s world. After the movie, they all had burgers for dinner along with some fries before Juliette carefully applied Frisk’s zombie makeup. The others were very interested in the process and were in shock when Juliette stepped back fifteen minutes later.

[ _Well?_ ]Frisk asked, looking at the others.

“You look terrifying, kid.”Sans said, the others nodding as James stared wide-eyed at his friend.

“That’s _so_ cool!”James exclaimed, grinning as Frisk hurried to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.

He was more than happy with the results. There were open ‘wounds’ on his face and fake blood trailed down his chin and neck. Juliette had also given him really creepy contacts that made the eye that wasn’t covered by an eyepatch a bright yellow color. At six o’clock, Toriel and Asgore took James and Frisk outside to begin trick-or-treating. Papyrus carried the three bowls of goodie bags down to the car where Angel popped the trunk and they set up two folding chairs before putting the bowls in the open trunk. Sans, Undyne, Alphys and Juliette left when more and more residents began setting up for the night; taking Alphys’ car. It took them seven minutes to get to the farm that the haunted hayride was taking place at and they saw that there were already quite a few cars there. In the distance flames shot into the sky, making Alphys cling to Undyne as they got out of the car and walk towards the entrance of the attraction.

They had to get in line, in which Juliette quickly realized a small mistake on her part. She had forgotten to grab her sweater and is only wearing a short sleeved shirt. The longer they had to wait in line, the colder she got. Undyne and Alphys had worn light jackets and Sans has his ever present hoodie. Shivering lightly, Juliette vigorously rubbed at her arms; not noticing that Sans and Undyne were looking at her with slight worry. Sans knew that Undyne hadn’t brought any extra jackets and, seeing how Juliette is shivering, knew he had to do something. Shifting, he carefully removed his hoodie, revealing a long sleeved, black shirt underneath. Juliette blinked and blushed when Sans handed her his hoodie, looking at him with uncertainty.

“A-Are you sure?”She asked, hesitantly reaching for the offered piece of clothing.

“I’m sure. The cold just goes right through me.”He said, grinning as Juliette chuckled softly before taking the hoodie.

Juliette struggled to keep herself from blushing as she pulled Sans’ hoodie over her head and tugged it down. Instantly she started to warm up and she blinked when she breathed in. The scent coming from the hoodie reminded her of winter. It was crisp and light though there was a faint scent of something…wild and rich that she chalked up to being a part of Sans’ magic. She mentally scolded herself and focused on the people ahead of them, not noticing the grin on Undyne’s lips. A few people scowled at them as they moved up towards the wagons, though they ignored those people. Of course, the closer they got meant that they could hear some of what was going on. Screams and shrieks of terror came from the fields. They could also hear the actors screaming and laughing along with the roars of the flames as they shot into the sky. Undyne was grinning and even Sans was looking rather excited. Alphys looked rather nervous, but she was putting on a brave face and looked determined to see this through.

When it was their turn, they paid for the ride and climbed up into the back of the wagon. It was covered in hay bales and blankets so they wouldn’t be uncomfortable and the driver was dressed as a zombie. He looked back at them and smirked, chuckling evilly as Alphys pressed herself against Undyne which made her girlfriend wrap an arm around her. Juliette swallowed nervously, though there was no denying the excitement coursing through her as well. She had sat beside Sans, though kept some space between them. Sans looked aloof, like normal and was actually leaning back against one of the bales with one eye closed and his arms behind his head. The wagon rolled forward and they were soon pulling away from the lights of the entrance and into the darkness. Silence wrapped around them, making Juliette’s heart pound as her mind tried to prepare her for what was going to happen. However, when they suddenly heard a shriek come from the corn stalks next to her, she and Alphys let out screams of terror and jumped.

A bloody woman ran after their wagon, begging and pleading for them to help her and let her on. However, just as her hand grazed the wagon two bloody and insanely grinning men raced out of the stalks, grabbing the woman and dragging her back as she screamed and flailed. Even Sans jumped slightly when they passed what seemed to be an abandoned, open building but flames suddenly shot into the sky, revealing the sight of dead bodies and a small group of people hunched over them. The people snarled at them before two broke from the group, chasing after the wagon as Alphys clung to Undyne and Juliette clamped her eyes shut tight. Throughout the ride actors sprang at their wagon from all sides, one even climbing up next to the driver and looming over them.

It also so happened that with each scare Juliette moved closer and closer to Sans. Halfway through the ride, an actor reached through the wooden slats of the sides of the wagon and tugged at her hand; scaring her half to death. She screamed and buried herself against Sans’ side, hiding her face against his ribs as she gripped onto his shirt. Sans had been startled as well and, instinctively wrapped his arms around her, his eyes wide as the actor cackled as they continued down the path. Juliette pulled away after a few seconds, her face bright red as soon as Sans let her go. Undyne snickered when she saw the blush on Sans’ face; smirking when the skeleton looked at her and scowled. However, Juliette didn’t remain far from Sans for very long. Within the next few minutes she was one again pressed against him as actors riding horses raced towards them jeering and dragging helpless victims behind them. The victims screamed as they were pulled along the ground, making Alphys cringe as she buried her face against Undyne’s chest.

The frights continued and Undyne admitted to herself that the owners of the property did a pretty damn good job. Even though she would never say it out loud, she jumped a few times and her heart was racing in her chest throughout most of the ride. When the wagon stopped after twenty minutes, Sans and Undyne got off before helping Juliette and Alphys off of the wagon. Juliette staggered slightly, flushing at the pins and needles sensation shooting throughout her legs. She knew it was because she had been curled up tightly against Sans with her legs tucked up underneath her after one of the actors tugged on her leg. They headed towards the exit of the field when they suddenly heard frantic running coming from behind them. Two actors called at them to run; the ‘victims’ racing away from two rather muscular farmers wielding chainsaws. Even though her rational mind was screaming at her that they wouldn’t be hurt and the chainsaws were completely harmless, Juliette sprinted with the others towards the exit; her heart thundering in her chest.

Reaching the exit, their pursuers stopped chasing and the small group was able to stop running and catch their breath. Undyne chuckled as she looked back towards the dark field, excitement shining in her eye as Alphys looked up at her with wide eyes. Juliette leaned against a post, struggling to catch her breath as Sans let out a small chuckle as well. She grinned at them as she finally caught her breath and straightened up. Heck, even Alphys was smiling faintly now that they were in the light once more.

“That was intense! Are all haunted attractions like this?”Undyne asked, looking eagerly at Juliette as Alphys let out a distressed noise at her girlfriend’s newfound adrenaline rush.

“Hell no. S-Some of them are similar but many are a lot scarier than that. Many attractions change up the theme and acts every year to keep drawing in new customers. Erebus is one of those places and it has three floors of terror.”Juliette said, making Alphys shudder as Undyne nodded with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Are there any haunted houses around here?”She asked, blinking when Alphys let out a squeak.

“Oh no! No you don’t Undyne! I am not going through that again!”Alphys said, making Undyne give her a pleading look.

“Awe! C’mon, babe! Please?”She asked, watching as Alphys shook her head.

“I actually agree with Alphys. I’m all scared out right now.”Juliette said, making Undyne huff as Alphys smiled at her.

“Sans? Tell me you wanna go through a haunted house.”Undyne said, looking at her friend as he blinked and grinned.

“Sorry, Undyne. But I’m _bone tired_ after all the excitement.”He said, making Juliette smile at him while Undyne groaned and huffed.

“Fine…”She grumbled, leading the way back to Alphys’ car.

During the ride back to the apartment, Juliette told the others about some of the other haunted attractions such as haunted mazes, haunted villages, and some of the interesting and terrifying things that actors could do in such places like chasing customers and grabbing their arms or legs to scare them. Alphys was very glad that they hadn’t gone to a haunted house as the hayride had been terrifying enough for her for one year. By the time they pulled into a parking spot at the complex, all of them had relaxed and were laughing and chatting about what they had noticed during their terrifying ride. They walked over to where Angel and Papyrus were sitting, in which Angel blinked and raised an eyebrow when she saw Juliette wearing Sans’ hoodie.

“How many kids have come through?”Juliette asked, peering into the bowls and smiling when she saw that one of them was empty and there are only a few bags left in the second one.

“A lot actually. We’ve gotten a good mixture of monster and human kids.”Angel said, smiling as Papyrus nodded.

“How was the haunted hayride?”Papyrus asked, eagerness in his voice as Sans grinned.

“It was _spook-tacular_ , bro.”He said, laughing when Juliette giggled while Papyrus let out a noise of frustration.

“It was rather terrifying…”Alphys said, shuddering lightly as Undyne smiled and held her close.

“Hey, Jules…why’re you wearing Sans’ hoodie?”Angel asked, smirking as Juliette blinked and looked down before blushing heavily.

“I-I got cold waiting in line for the ride. I forgot my jacket and Sans offered his hoodie when he saw I was shivering.”Juliette muttered, ducking her head to hide her red face.

Angel grinned and shook her head, watching as Juliette pulled off the hoodie and handed it back to Sans. Sans accepted the piece of clothing and waved Juliette’s thanks away as he pulled it back on. Undyne eagerly told Papyrus about the ride while Juliette and Alphys talked to Angel about the trick-or-treaters. Sans listened with faint interest, though he couldn’t help but flush as the faint vanilla and slightly floral scent that came from his hoodie. He knew instantly that it’s Juliette’s body wash and perfume; after all he got to smell it plenty during the hayride when she had been clutching onto him. He didn’t want to dwell on how good it had felt feeling her smaller body pressed against his; nor did he wanted to think about how his soul pulsed inside his chest as he had wrapped his arms around her whenever she clung to him. He had seen the smirk and sly looks Undyne had been shooting him throughout the ride, but he had simply pretended not to notice.

-She’s a human and could do a hell of a lot better than me.-He thought, blinking and grinning when Papyrus called his name to get his attention.

“There’s another hour of trick-or-treating. Can we stay until it ends?”Papyrus asked, breaming when Sans nodded.

“Sure; so long as Jules and Angel are alright with it.”Sans said, looking at the two women.

“Of course you can stay.”Juliette said, Angel smiling as she nodded.

“ _Wonderful_!”Papyrus cheered, beaming as a small group of children walked over dressed in various costumes.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Halloween ended on a great note for the friends. Frisk and James had ended up with a ton of candy and treats, which made Toriel worry about Frisk getting a sugar rush. Of course she hid his candy once they got home, much to the boy’s dismay. His friend James laughed at the time, only to complain the next day on how his parents had done the same thing. Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys had all been sent home with their own goodie bag since Angel and Juliette ended up having a few left over. However, they were also introduced to a good friend of Sans’ that night. Sans had been surprised when he saw Grillby, a tall monster made completely out of flames which held a rather convincing humanoid shape. Juliette was in awe of the man, and Angel blinked when she realized that Grillby is the monster she had seen the night Juliette had defended Frisk and Alphys.

They quickly discovered that Grillby ‘spoke’ by crackling. Sans and the others had no trouble understanding him and they happily translated for the two girls. According to Sans, Grillby had just moved from the small monster city outside of Mt. Ebott a few months ago with his niece Amber. The monster city still has plenty of residents so his brother: Asher, is running his restaurant there while he came here. Angel and Juliette asked Grillby plenty of questions and he was rather surprised when they explained what they were attempting to do with their own business. He told them that they would need to find a bartender or two who knew how to make magical drinks for monster customers, in which he stated that he would be willing to help train any bartenders they got. They were shocked that he would offer to do such a thing, especially since they would be considered competition to his business, but Grillby simply smiled and said that there was no reason why he shouldn’t help them out. It was Sans who explained that, even though monsters would most likely flock to their place, Grillby would always have more than enough customers to stay in business and flourish no matter what competition pops up around him.

After Halloween, Angel and Juliette really cracked down on getting their dreams made real. Luke and Vivian were a godsend when it came to working on what they wanted to do with their businesses. When they met up with the pair, Luke presented them with three potential layouts for their restaurant and club. Angel and Juliette poured over the blueprints; whispering to themselves and pointing out little details that they picked up and debating which would work the best for what they wanted. They wanted their restaurant to be casual and family friendly yet they also wanted it to look professional and classy so businesses would want to hold their meetings there. Thankfully Luke and Vivian gave them a few days to go over the blueprints and decide what they wanted without any pressure. The girls already knew that their business wouldn’t be open before the new year and were hoping to open it around Valentine’s Day.

Even though they weren’t advertising the fact that they’re opening a restaurant and club, monsters needing employment and some humans as well, began approaching the girls about potential jobs. This caused Angel and Juliette to work faster in ensuring that they got their permits and listed their business with the proper people and agencies. They finally decided on a blueprint that combined two of the potential blueprints Luke and Vivian had given them. They wanted the club from one blueprint and the restaurant layout from another. While Luke and his company began the process of repairing the building and creating what they wanted, Vivian introduced the girls to a new kind of hell: choosing paints, flooring and other things for their business. Both girls were soon getting tired of looking at different samples while listening to how different colors will affect customer’s moods, their appetite and so forth.

Thankfully their friends were constantly there to ensure they got out and had fun amidst all the chaos of starting their own business. The girls loved movie nights and had a great time finding out where all of their friends live. Alphys and Undyne live in a rather nice mobile home in an upper scale mobile park. Their home is a four bedroom and also has its own office/study which had been turned into Alphys’ work and research space. One of the bedrooms had also been turned into their home gym for Undyne and was also where she stored her weapons and her armor which she no longer really needs. Sans and Papyrus, meanwhile, live in a modest two story, three bedroom house not far from Toriel, Asgore and Frisk and their basement had been turned into a training room for Papyrus and Sans. All of their friends were more than happy with movie nights and it always resulted in a lot of fun for everyone, though there was also plenty of teasing and laughter when it came to certain movies and reactions from the group.

It was mid-November when Angel finally decided to confront Spencer. He had texted and called her a few times asking if she was ready for a real relationship and to get her life in order though she had always ignored those jabs. A part of her wondered if he was waiting for her but another part of her doubted that he had remained single. She waited until Juliette was gone for her meeting with Vivian before sending a text to Spencer; asking him to meet at the Fox Den Café. She was surprised when he responded quickly and asked her why, to which she answered and told him that she wanted to talk to him about a few things. He agreed to meet her in twenty minutes, which gave her enough time to brush her hair and teeth and let Shade out before setting out to town. It took her about ten to fifteen minutes to walk to the café so she wasn’t really surprised when she saw Spencer already sitting down at a table.

She also spotted Vixen looking at her with some concern, though she simply shook her head slightly and gave the woman a smile. Walking over to Spencer’s table, she saw him look up at her and his eyes widened when he saw the cast on her arm.

“Angel?! What happened?”He asked, shock in his voice as the woman sat down across from him.

“I was in a car accident. A semi-truck hit me and flipped my truck.”Angel answered, watching as Spencer opened his mouth before it clicked shut.

“What did you want to talk to me about?”He asked, shaking himself as Angel set down her small backpack on the table.

“Jules and I found a small factory that we’re currently converting into our restaurant and club. Jules is actually meeting with Luke and Vivian right now about the progress that’s been done on the building. Grillby, a rather popular monster and one who has owned his own restaurant has even agreed to teach our bartenders how to make special magical drinks that any monster customers might order. We’re well on our way to making this a success.”Angel explained, unzipping her backpack and reaching into it.

“So you’ve chosen a silly dream over me?”Spencer asked, anger in his voice as Angel began pulling out some of his things that he must’ve left at her’s and Juliette’s apartment.

“You were the one who forced me to make that decision, Spencer. If you truly cared about me then you would be supportive of me. You would’ve been concerned with how miserable Blue Moon was making me instead of telling me that I should’ve stayed there. I’ve made so many friends since I quit and I couldn’t be happier.”Angel said, sliding over the items she had pulled from her bag.

Spencer silently looked down at the two shirts, five CD’s, his spare phone charger and a few pictures he had taken of them. He had never thought that Angel and Juliette would go through with their ideas. He had always figured that Angel would come to her senses and see the error of their dreams. Yes, he knows that the relationship between humans and monsters are constantly improving, especially with the help of Ambassador Frisk and the monster King Asgore, but he had never thought that Angel and Juliette would dream up of a business that could improve those relationships. He had also thought that Angel valued their relationship more than some silly dream, but apparently he was wrong. Yes, there had been some warning signs when she continuously said no to his proposals of her moving in with him, but he had simply chalked it up to her being nervous or not wanting to upset Juliette. Another thing he had noticed was that she had never said ‘I love you’ to him. He had said it to her a few times, and every time she had flushed and given him a nervous smile.

He had always been confused and hurt considering she happily said those three little words to Juliette. He knows that Angel is bisexual and had worried that she was in love with her friend. However, when he confronted Angel about it she had nearly doubled over in laughter before she managed to calm down enough and explain that she and Juliette are like sisters. However, now he can see what had really happened. Angel never said that she loved him because she never did. Oh, he had no doubt she cared about him and had deep affection towards him, but love? No. Spencer looked over at Angel, noticing that she is looking at him.

“I just wanted what was best for you, Angel. I had thought that you would have been satisfied with a steady income and future with me.”He said, Angel sighing softly as she looked at the tabletop.

“Spencer, you’re a great guy. You’re kind, caring, intelligent…but I’m just not ready to fully settle down. I did like you…but I didn’t love you like you loved me. I was planning on telling you; I didn’t want to string you along. I knew you were ready but I wasn’t. I might be ready to get married and settle down in a few years, but I still have my whole life ahead of me.”Angel said, her voice soft as Spencer gave her a short nod.

Spencer collected his things and stood. Without even looking at Angel he pulled out his key ring and removed the spare key to her and Juliette’s apartment. Angel swallowed thickly as the man set the key down on the table before stalking out of the café. Almost all of the other customers were silent, but they hurriedly looked away when Angel glanced towards them. Vixen walked over after Angel pocketed the key and set down a cup of the woman’s favorite coffee, smiling sadly at Angel as the redhead blinked and looked at her. Angel blinked a few times before accepting the cup and taking a small sip. Honestly, she wasn’t too surprised on how he had reacted. However, that didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt. She had hoped that he might’ve changed his mind when he learned of how much progress they’ve already made and that they truly are serious about their decision in making this business work.

-Who am I kidding? It was a doomed relationship.-She thought, frowning into her cup.

The chiming of the bell above the door registered in her mind vaguely, though she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone nearly shout her name in happiness.

“ _Angel!_ What are you doing here, friend?!”Papyrus cried, hurrying over to the redhead as Angel turn in her chair and looked at him with wide eyes.

“Huh? Oh, hey Pap. How are you?”She asked, forcing a smile on her face as the jubilant skeleton hurried over.

“I’m doing _wonderful_! Undyne has officially hired me as a new fitness trainer at her gym! I came to get a few treats for myself and Sans for when he gets home.”Papyrus explained, beaming as Angel blinked before smiling brightly at him.

“That’s great news, Pap! I know you’ll be a wonderful trainer.”She said, standing up and hugging the tall monster.

“And what about you, friend? Has your day been as wonderful as mine?”Papyrus asked, sitting down eagerly.

However, he blinked when Angel suddenly looked down at her cup, her fingers toying with the rim. Worry filled him when he saw the sadness overtake the normally bubbly redhead and he instantly became concerned. Looking around, he saw that many of the other customers looked at Angel with concern, pity, sadness and worry, meaning that they knew what was bothering his friend. Papyrus carefully removed his red gloves and reached over, gently taking Angel’s hand in his own. She seemed to start at the feeling of bones against her skin, and she looked down at Papyrus’ fingers in shock and wonder. It was rare when Papyrus removed his gloves; hell, he even wore them when he ate! Looking at them, she marveled at how long and…delicate his phalanges seemed and yet she could feel his magic thrumming through them. Swallowing tightly, she lifted her eyes to meet his and nearly flinched when she saw the worry in his eyes and face.

“I…I talked with Spencer a few minutes ago. It…It’s officially over between us.”She muttered, Papyrus squeezing her hand softly.

“I am sorry to hear that, Angel. Did…Did you love him?”Papyrus asked, his voice, for once, soft and gentle.

“No…No I didn’t love him but I cared deeply for him. He never liked the idea of Jules and I starting our own business and when I told him about us quitting out jobs at Blue Moon he got angry at me. He said we were making a huge mistake and I was throwing away a perfectly good job. The thing is, is that I feel…I feel _so_ much better now that I’m away from that place. He…He just didn’t understand.”She said, her voice soft as Papyrus blinked and frowned.

“From what I read about relationships both partners should be supportive of each other! Undyne and Alphys have always supported each other, even before they got together! You would never think that they would work out because of how shy and nervous Alphys is while Undyne is outgoing like me! Yet they’re perfect for each other because they support each other.”Papyrus explained, making Angel look at him with surprise.

She had never seen this side of Papyrus before. However, it reminded her that she and Juliette still have so much to learn about their new friends. It was true though, what he said. Undyne is so boisterous, intense and in-your-face that you would never think she would be able to be with someone like Alphys. The two women are complete opposites of each other and yet they made it work. Their personalities even each other’s out; Alphys is able to calm down Undyne while Undyne got Alphys out to meet new people and experience new things. The more Angel thought, the more she realized that Papyrus was right. She and Spencer never would’ve lasted as a couple. Yes, they had many good times and Spencer had been kind to Juliette but he had some faults that she couldn’t stand. He was an intense workaholic and valued having a job over being happy with where you’re working.

“Thanks, Pap. How about we get some Nice Cream? My treat.”Angel offered, smiling as Papyrus’ eyes lit up in happiness.

“That sounds _wonderful!_ ”He cried, putting on his gloves and jumping to his feet.

“Oh! But I need the things for later.”He paused watching as Angel smiled and got up.

“We can come back after our treat.”She said, Papyrus blinking before he beamed and nodded in agreement.

They headed outside together and easily found a Nice Cream stand. Heading over to the stand, Angel happily paid for two of the delicious treats and handed Papyrus his as the vender handed them over. Papyrus held her’s while she dug through her bag and pulled out her wallet to pay, smiling as she pocketed her wallet and turned to take her Nice Cream from him. Papyrus eagerly tore off the wrapping from the sweet treat, beaming when a peppy voice chirped from the open package.

“You’re the coolest around!”

“It knows you, Pap.”Angel laughed, smiling as the tall skeleton beamed though there was a faint dusting of orange on his cheeks.

Angel managed to tear open her own treat using her teeth and blinked when another peppy voice came from the package.

“Keep on smiling!”

“See, Angel! Even the Nice Cream says to keep on smiling!”Papyrus exclaimed, smiling as Angel chuckled and managed to throw away her trash.

Both of them walked around the downtown area as they feasted on their treats. Papyrus happily pointed out a few things and asked plenty of questions about some of the decorations for Thanksgiving. She happily told him more about the holiday, including the fact that she is going to her family’s house for the holiday. Papyrus explained that he and Sans were still learning about all of the holidays since, where they used to live, they hadn’t known about most of the holidays except for Christmas and their birthdays. Angel understood and she happily told him about all of the other holidays that human’s celebrated. He asked her a ton of questions, the lights in his eyes shining brightly with excitement and happiness as he listened.

-Today wasn’t a complete bust.-Angel thought, smiling as Papyrus happily talked about his and Sans’ past Christmas’s and birthdays.

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	5. Shocks and Giving Thanks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you lot are sure going to have mixed feelings for me with this chapter! I will say that things get interesting and some tension arises. However, there will be growing relationships between Sans and Juliette along with Papyrus and Angel. This chapter will mostly be about the few days leading up to Thanksgiving, that holiday and a few days after it. The next chapter will have a pretty hefty time jump, but I will highlight what happens during that time like always. I have to say, this story has captured all of my attention and my muse is spitting out ideas and suggestions constantly! I haven’t written this fast in a long time and I’ll tell you this: it feels good!! I’m not sure how long this story will go on for, but I’m thinking at least ten to twelve chapters with a possibility for a small sequel or a series of one-shots based in the future after this story. Oh, and the tacos Juliette makes in this chapter are absolutely amazing! I love them and am so grateful to one of my friends for teaching me how to make them. I do hope you enjoy this story and let me know what you think!
> 
> Dedications: I would like to dedicate this story to rosesandspades713 for her wonderful story ‘tonight I’ll need you to stay’.

-Thoughts-

_ Text _

_[Signing]_

_Emphasis on words_

 

 

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It was five days before Thanksgiving when Angel finally heard from her parents and younger siblings. At nine in the morning, the redhead was woken from her sleep by the ringing of her phone. She was half-asleep when she answered it, but was wide awake when she heard the frantic voice of her mom demanding to know what happened. It took her a moment for her to realize that her parents were just now receiving the voicemail Doctor Fletcher had left for them. Angel had to practically shout into her phone in order to get her mom to calm down enough to tell her what had happened, and she was halfway through her story when she heard the faint voices of her younger siblings that suggested that she’s on speakerphone. Once she finished explaining what happened; including on how she and Juliette quit their jobs and have found a place for their new business, her parents and siblings bombarded her with questions.

She confirmed that the insurance company did give her money for what had happened to her truck and the truck driver had paid for her medical bills. Thankfully her family soon calmed down and began asking about Juliette and how things are going, to which Angel could practically hear her parent’s smiles as she eagerly talked about their new friends and the building along with the progress. Her mom scoffed when Angel told them about Spencer and his reactions and she swore she heard her dad mutter: ‘good riddance’. Her siblings asked her plenty of questions about Shade, Trixie and her friends. Tyler, Angel’s younger brother, was in awe when he learned that Sans and Papyrus are skeletons, though Sarah: her younger sister, was more interested in the animals and what fun activities Angel and Juliette have done. Angel happily indulged her siblings and asked them plenty of questions about what they did on the cruise.

However, her parents sadly dropped a bombshell that Angel wasn’t too happy with.

“There’s been a change of plans, sweetie.”Bethany said, making Angel frown when she heard the hesitation in her mom’s voice.

“What do you mean?”She asked, sitting up in her bed.

“My sister is throwing a huge family get together in the U.P. She’s even getting Dan’s family there. They’re already going to be hard up for space and we have to rent a hotel or motel room…”Bethany explained, making Angel sigh as she realized what her mom was saying.

“So Jules can’t come.”

“I’m sorry, hon.”Daniel said, making Angel nod her head even though she knew her parents couldn’t see it.

“It’s okay, Dad. Jules wouldn’t be comfortable around that many people and I wouldn’t want to force her to go. I also wouldn’t mind going since I haven’t seen everyone in so long…”Angel said, running a hand through her hair.

“Do you want us to rent you your own room? You could pay us back of course.”Bethany said, Angel frowning lightly as she bit her lower lip.

“Give me an hour. I need to tell Jules that the plans have changed. I also want to find someone to come and spend Thanksgiving with her. She hasn’t been alone for Thanksgiving and I don’t want her to be alone during a holiday that normally has family involved.”Angel explained, her family voicing their agreement.

Angel said her goodbyes and hung up before sighing and closing her eyes. She knew that Toriel, Asgore and Frisk were going to be celebrating Thanksgiving with just the three of them and so were Undyne and Alphys. However…she has no idea what Papyrus and Sans were going to be doing for the holiday. She smiled lightly as she unlocked her phone and hurriedly scrolled through her contact list until she came to Papyrus’ name. He would be awake at this hour whereas all of them know that Sans is hardly ever awake before noon. Pressing the call button, she brought the phone to her ear and listened as it rang three times before her favorite skeleton answered.

“Good morning, Angel! What has you calling this early?”

“Mornin’, Pap. I was wondering if you and Sans have any plans for Thanksgiving.”Angel said, leaning back among her pillows as she listened to Papyrus moving around.

“Sadly we do not have any plans. Why do you ask?”Papyrus asked, a hint of excitement in his voice as Angel chuckled.

“Unfortunately my aunt is throwing a huge family gathering in another state and I want to go. However, I don’t want Jules to be alone. I was wondering if you and-“

“We would _love_ to spend Thanksgiving with Juliette! No one should have to be alone on such a wonderful holiday. I will tell Sans as soon as he gets up! I shall also call Juliette to see if she wants me to bring anything to eat.”Papyrus gushed, making Angel smile brightly.

“Thank you so much, Pap. You’re the coolest. I gotta go and tell Jules about the change in plans. I’m sure she’ll love to have you and Sans over.”Angel said, smiling as Papyrus happily said goodbye before hanging up.

Angel slowly got up from her bed and walked out of her room. Walking through the apartment, she hummed faintly when she saw that Juliette wasn’t in either the kitchen or living room. Moving back to the hallway, she knocked faintly on Juliette’s bedroom door before stepping inside after opening it. The sound of faint music coming from the other woman’s bathroom made her head in that direction and she smiled when she saw Juliette relaxing in her bathtub with a mountain of bubbles surrounding her. Even though their friends aren’t a part of the main renovations, Juliette is. She’s been busy working with Luke and his crew to help cut down the cost of labor and time spent on the renovations. Of course Angel also knew that Juliette used her magic whenever the crew were out to lunch or gone for the day in order to move supplies throughout the building so everything would be ready for the next day.

“I can feel you staring at me.”Juliette said, rolling her head to the side and opening her eyes to look at her friend.

“Sorry, Jules. My parents called a while ago.”She said, walking further into the bathroom and sitting down on the edge of the tub.

“Oh?”Juliette asked, frowning when Angel sighed.

“Yeah. There’s a huge family gathering on Thanksgiving and my family would like me to go…”Angel began, Juliette blinking before understanding lit her eyes.

“And there’s no room for me and I would be uncomfortable there anyway.”She finished, Angel nodding lightly.

“I’m sorry, Jules.”

“No, it’s okay Angel. I’d rather stay here than go and be around people who I won’t be comfortable around. I’ll just be buying for less.”Juliette said, shrugging lightly before she saw the smile on Angel’s face.

“Actually, I didn’t want you to be alone on Thanksgiving so I called Papyrus. I asked if he and Sans would like to come over for Thanksgiving so you wouldn’t be alone. He said that he would love to come and he’ll tell Sans as soon as he’s awake. I think he’ll be calling soon in order to ask if he’ll need to bring anything.”Angel said, giggling as Juliette looked at her with wide eyes.

“I…”

“I don’t want you to be alone for the first time on Thanksgiving, Jules. It’s always been you, me and my family since your uncle passed. Besides, you’d be helping the brothers find out what Thanksgiving means to you now.”Angel said, smiling as Juliette’s mouth clicked shut and she gained a thoughtful look.

“…Alright…I guess it would be fun to have them around and it’ll be nice not to be alone. I can make my pumpkin pie for them to try. I still need to go shopping anyway.”She said, Angel grinning as she looked at her friend.

“Good! Now, I need to go call my parents and find out when they’re leaving. They’ll need to come and get me so you can have the car. You don’t mind-“

“No, I don’t mind watching Shade while you’re gone.”Juliette said, sitting up in the tub and letting out the water.

“Thanks, Jules! You rock.”Angel said, jumping to her feet and hurrying out of the bathroom.

While Juliette showered, Angel called her parents back and found out that they would be leaving tomorrow late morning. They happily agreed to come and get her and were glad that Juliette wouldn’t be alone. Angel then scrambled around the apartment trying to find her suitcases and worrying about what she needs to pack for her trip. Her and her family will be spending the days leading up to Thanksgiving and then spending three days after the holiday with her family. When Juliette emerged from her room, she helped Angel calm down and got her friend’s bags down from the high shelf in her friend’s closet. Angel calmed down slightly, long enough to send out a mass text to their other friends that she’ll be out of state for a little while visiting family before she jumped into the shower. Juliette was surprised when her phone started ringing around ten. She glanced at the screen and blinked in shock when she saw that it’s Sans instead of Papyrus calling her this early. Smiling lightly, she hurriedly answered the call and walked to her room to talk to him.

“Hey, lazybones. I didn’t think you’d be up this early.”She said, flopping down onto her bed as a deep chuckle came over the phone.

“Pap woke me up a little bit ago. He’s excited about Thanksgiving now.”Sans said, his voice deep and husky from having just woken up.

“Sorry about that. I just found out from Angel myself. Her family is having this huge gathering and they don’t have the space for me. I’d be uncomfortable anyway so I don’t really want to go.”Juliette said, Sans letting out a noise of understanding.

“ ‘S there anything special Pap and I need to bring?”

“Not that I can think of unless you guys want to bring your own drinks or a side dish. I’ll be going shopping soon for supplies and I plan on making my pumpkin pie.”Juliette said, listening as Sans shifted.

“Oh? Somethin’ special about the pie?”

“Angel claims that my pumpkin pie is the best. It’s an old recipe I got from my uncle and he got it from his great-grandmother. I doubt it’ll be as good as Toriel’s pie, but I plan on giving it my best.”She said, smiling as Sans chuckled.

“I’m sure it’ll be great. What time do you want us over on Thanksgiving?”Sans asked, making Juliette smile as she looked up at her ceiling.

“Four o’clock is good. I plan on shopping tomorrow for everything that I’ll need and Thanksgiving morning I’ll be cooking up a storm. Anyway, thanks again, for coming.”She said, flushing as she could practically hear Sans’ grin widening.

“No problem. Just text or call if you need us to bring anything.”Sans said, Juliette nodding before they said goodbye.

Juliette went through everything in the kitchen, making a note on what she needed to pick up for Thanksgiving. She had already bought a turkey and it’s a decent size so there will be plenty for her, Sans and Papyrus. Angel helped her make a list of different foods to make for the brothers, especially since this will be their first Thanksgiving. Juliette sent a text to Sans explaining that he and Papyrus should have a light lunch since dinner will be rather filling. Of course jokester couldn’t resist telling her a pun, in which she rolled her eyes though the smile never left her lips. Of course she also helped Angel pack and prepare for her trip up north. Angel looked up the weather forecast for where they were going and decided to pack for cold weather. She had a mini panic attack when she couldn’t find her favorite sweater, only for Juliette to find it halfway underneath her bed with a grin on her face.

Angel ended up doing a load of laundry while Juliette made them breakfast. They talked about their business and the progress of the restaurant and club. Conversation turned towards potential employees in which they have six people who’ve applied for the bartender positions in the club. They only needed about five bartenders and they wanted people who have at least some experience. Of course, if they hired at least two people with experience those ‘veterans’ could learn from Grillby and could then teach the other newer bartenders. Juliette already has plans of working in the kitchens herself, though they want to hire at least four other cooks. They need at least eight security members, two of which will be the heads of security while the others will be bouncers and patrol the club and the entrance to the club. The waiters, busboys and such they’ll need in abundance to staff both the restaurant and club.

“So, we need a good work force.”Angel said, sighing as they went over the lists of how many employees they’ll need.

“Of course. We also need a D.J. for the club for whenever we don’t have live bands or singers playing. We should also come up with different theamed nights for the club, make things fun and entertaining for our guests to draw them in.”Juliette said, smiling as Angel blinked and beamed at her.

“That’s a great idea!”

“We’ll have live band nights, karaoke…”

“Don’t forget comedy night! We can also hold small competitions for dancing, singing and lip-syncing.”Angel added, making Juliette chuckle and nod her head.

“Alright, sounds like we have a pretty good start on special event nights. We could also include a black light night. Of course when we don’t have bands or singers guests could suggest songs to the D.J. for a small price.”Juliette said, Angel grinning as she typed everything up.

They continued making more plans, including what they’ll serve for drinks and food. Hours for the restaurant were discussed, in which they agreed that the restaurant will open at nine in the morning and close at nine at night. However, the club will be open at four in the evening and close at one in the morning. Juliette called a taxi cab company and asked to speak with the manager about a possible business deal. The manager actually turned out to be the owner of the company and instantly agreed to a Skype business call. Angel and Juliette hurriedly changed into more formal and ‘clean-cut’ attire before the business call began. Both ladies explained what they were doing in opening a restaurant and club and were wondering if the owner wouldn’t mind offering their taxi service for any customers who need a ride home from the club. The taxi service ran twenty-four hours and the owner was rather interested in the business proposal but was also concerned in that his drivers would have to deal with potential dangerous customers.

It took some negotiating but they finally struck up a business deal. Angel and Juliette would give the taxi drivers a minor discount at the restaurant and club so long as they presented their I.D. to whoever rang them up when they paid their bill. Meanwhile, the taxi company would have at least one driver stationed at the club every night and more drivers will make the run to and from the club whenever they’re called. Once the meeting ended, Angel and Juliette began making plans on how to help their customers get home safely when they’ve been drinking and partying in the club. They already plan on having an age limit of eighteen and up being allowed inside and the guests will get a stamp that they have to show to the bartenders in order to get drinks. If they’re younger than twenty-one, they’ll be served juice, soda and other non-alcoholic drinks. Neither of them wanted them or their staff getting into trouble for minors being served alcohol.

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The next morning Angel was up bright and early at six am. Juliette got up as well and they had breakfast together before Angel scrambled around getting ready for when her family will come to pick her up. Shade, it seemed, knew that Angel is leaving and followed her around the apartment, whining and demanding attention from her whenever possible. A knock came at the door a few minutes after nine o’clock hit. Juliette opened the door and laughed when a hyper yet sleepy strawberry blonde haired boy hugged her tightly before hurrying into the apartment. A slighter older girl with dark red hair happily hugged Juliette as well before following the boy into the place. Juliette smiled as Bethany, a rather nice and curvy woman walked, over and hugged her.

“How are you, Jules?”Bethany asked, looking over the young woman carefully.

“I’m good, Beth. How was the cruise?”Juliette asked, smiling as she hugged Daniel.

“It was wonderful.”Bethany answered, walking into the apartment and patting Shade’s head.

“Sorry about the change of plans, Juliette. We were just as surprised.”Daniel said, blinking when Juliette waved his apologies away.

“It’s alright. I already have plans in having Thanksgiving with some good friends of ours. It’ll be Sans and Papyrus’ first Thanksgiving.”Juliette said, making the others smile as they looked at her.

“Are Sans and Papyrus really skeleton monsters?”Tyler asked, eagerness in his voice as he looked up from where he was sitting on the floor petting Trixie.

“The answer is yes, they really are.”Angel said, walking into the living room and grinning when her siblings rushed over and hugged her tightly.

“You’re already in a smaller cast?!”Daniel asked, looking at his daughter’s arm in surprise.

Angel blinked and looked down at the smaller, lightweight cast encasing her arm. Two days ago she and Juliette had gone to the hospital to have new x-rays taken of her arm. Doctor Fletcher had been shocked on how quickly her arm had healed, though when Angel admitted to taking Monster Candy he had chuckled and nodded. Her bones are still mending and Doctor Fletcher removed her cast before putting it in a smaller, lighter, waterproof cast. He estimated she only needs to wear it for two more weeks before her arm should be fully healed so long as she continues to eat a piece of Monster Candy every other day. Daniel began taking Angel’s bags outside to the van while she caught up with her siblings and mom. However, she also stuck close to Juliette the sooner it came time to leave. When all of her bags, beside her backpack, were in the van, Juliette got hugs from the Kross family and followed Angel down to the parking lot.

“Be sure to call me if anything happens. I also want pictures of Sans and Pap on Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to call me either.”Angel said, looking down at Juliette as her friend grinned.

“Angel, I’m a grown woman. I’ve been on my own before.”She said, smiling as Angel nodded lightly.

“I know…”Angel muttered, pulling Juliette into a tight hug.

They said goodbye and Juliette made Angel promise to take plenty of pictures before her friend got into the van and they took off. Juliette watched the van until it turned the corner before she headed back into the apartment. Shade whined and jumped onto the sectional, making Juliette huff and glare at the dog before she finally caved and took pity on him. Sitting next to the large dog, she smiled softly as he put his head on her lap, his eyes closing as she stroked his head gently. She turned on the T.V. and laughed when Trixie jumped up onto the back of the couch before walking over and stepping onto her shoulders. The silly cat draped herself across Juliette’s shoulders, resting her head on her paws on the woman’s shoulders and closing her eyes.

“I guess you guys don’t want me to be alone, huh?”She asked, smiling gently as she reached up with her free hand and stroked Trixie’s head.

She settled down and watched T.V. while relaxing and listening to the faint purrs coming from Trixie as the weight of Shade’s head warmed her leg. After two hours, Juliette finally decided that it is time to get busy and go shopping. Trixie threw her a dirty look and complained when she lifted the Calico from her shoulders, but she settled down on one of the couch pillows. Shade opened his eyes and lifted his head when Juliette nudged him and he yawned and jumped down from the couch before stretching. Juliette went over the entire apartment with her grocery list, adding a few things she wanted to get for Thanksgiving and just general things that she needed. She also went through her closet and winced when she saw the two trash bags filled with clothing that were too worn or no longer fit her because they had shrunken in the wash.

“There goes another couple hundred bucks.”She muttered, lifting the bags and carrying them to the living room where she placed them near the front door.

She and Angel had talked about uniforms for their employees and had decided that the uniforms will be black jeans or skirt, a deep emerald colored shirt or blouse and comfortable black, non-slip shoes. Of course the cooks will be wearing white chef coats and hats with their hair tucked up into the hats. They were also planning on having the waiters and waitresses wear lighter green colored aprons. The hostess would wear the same thing as the waiters and waitresses, though their tags would be different. The bartenders of the club will have more form fitting clothing so the chances of anything catching on the glasses wouldn’t be as high. The bouncers will be wearing black jeans and dark blue shirts with the word Bouncer written in white lettering on the back. Juliette and Angel had agreed to wear the same thing as their employees; after all, they wanted their workers to feel comfortable around them and feel like they can approach them without getting yelled at or called out.

Juliette took Shade out to use the bathroom and took the bags out to her car and put them in the backseat. The Salvation Army wasn’t too far away and she had already tossed out all of the old bras and panties she needs to replace. After Shade burned off some energy, Juliette took him back up to the apartment and locked up before jogging down the steps and heading towards her car. She blinked when she saw Grillby walk out of his apartment. Smiling she waved at the man, receiving a wave back before she ducked into her car. Starting the car, Juliette drove through the complex and turned onto the main road. She drove to the Salvation Army first and brought in the bags of clothing. Two of the volunteers were grateful for the clothing and thanked her as they shifted through the piles. Juliette smiled and browsed around and actually found a few nice skirts and blouses that fit. She paid for her purchases and headed back outside where she soon took off towards Kohl’s.

It took Juliette two hours to go through the store and find clothing, shoes and some accessories she liked. She also bought two ‘uniforms’ for herself so she and Angel would be able to show their new employees what they would like them to wear. The cashier was rather surprised by how much she was buying though she looked pleased as she began ringing everything up. Juliette sighed softly and watched as the amount kept going up and up. She pulled out her rewards card and grinned when she realized that she got a discount since she had bought so much. The cashier was rather happy about it too and adjusted the price, which made Juliette breathe a little easier. Taking her bags, she thanked the cashier and headed back outside where she opened the trunk of her car and put everything away.

It took about fifteen minutes before Juliette reached Walmart and she quickly grabbed her few reusable bags. Heading inside, she instantly headed to the seasonal section and bought a few decorations to hang around the apartment, a tablecloth, napkins and a few festive serving plates and bowls. She also bought a few turkey candle holders for the center of the table, figuring that Sans and Papyrus would like it if she went all out for their first Thanksgiving. After tearing through the seasonal area, she headed towards the grocery area. Consulting her list, she spent a good half-hour wandering the area and picking things up. She also texted Sans and Papyrus, asking them if there was anything specific they didn’t like to which they both reassured her that they would most likely enjoy whatever she made for them. Shaking her head, she smiled as she continued shopping. All of the frozen items went into the two cool bags before she headed through the rest of the store and picked up a few more things.

After an hour of shopping, she finally managed to load her bags into the trunk and put her cart away. Sighing, she stretched her arms above herself before getting into her car and started it up. It took her a little while to get back to the apartment and when she did, she groaned when she realized how many trips it’ll take her in order to get all of the bags upstairs to the apartment. The temptation to use her magic to carry all of the bags upstairs was there, but she quickly stomped it down. Yes, many people are at work but there is still the very high chance of people looking out their windows and spotting the floating bags. Sighing, she got out of the car and popped the trunk. Bending over, she reaching into the trunk and began loading bags onto one of her arms. She added a few bags to her other arm before straightening up and turning. She was shocked and nearly dropped the bags when she saw Grillby standing a few feet away from her.

“Jesus! You scared me, Grillby!”She gasped, pressing her hand to her chest as the man looked…abashed?!

She blinked when he began talking, the crackling filling her ears even though she couldn’t understand him. However, when he pointed towards her bags and then towards himself, she instantly understood what he was saying and blushed.

“Oh! You want to help me with my bags.”She said, Grillby nodding.

“Um…sure. It would take me a few trips on my own. Thank you.”She said, stepping to the side and watching as the flame monster carefully picked up a number of bags.

It was interesting on how the flames which made up his body contorted and shifted, forming his limbs and yet not burning or melting anything he touched. Of course, she knew that it’s because of the magic all monsters have and, again, it made sense to her that he would be able to handle normal things without melting or setting them on fire. Thanking him, she led the way upstairs and unlocked the front door. Shade barked when he saw Grillby, though he backed off when Juliette commanded him to. Grillby looked around with interest as he followed Juliette through her apartment to the kitchen and he set the bags down on the counters. They both headed down to the car and managed to grab the rest of the bags between the both of them. Juliette closed the trunk and headed up after Grillby. Inside, she used her foot to close the door so Shade wouldn’t run out and smiled brightly as Grillby set down the last of his bags.

“Thank you so much, Grillby. If you’d like, I can quickly put these things away and I can make us some lunch.”She offered, shifting as the man appeared to study her before nodding.

Smiling brightly, Juliette hurriedly unpacked and put everything away, to which Grillby helped her by pulling things out of the bag and Juliette pointed out where they went. She tossed her bags of clothing into her room before washing her hands and pulling out hamburger meat, soft taco shells and a few other ingredients along with a frying pan and a strainer. Grillby sat down at the counter, watching with interest as she pulled apart the hamburger and set it to brown in the pan before getting a large mixing bowl and putting in sour crème, ranch dressing and cheese. After the hamburger was done cooking and she strained out the juices, she tossed it into the bowl and mixed it together. She put it into the microwave so the cheese will melt before quickly warming up the shells on the stove.

“My friend Kayla’s girlfriend taught me how to make these. You wouldn’t think they’d taste very well but I love them and now so do almost all of my friends. Just let me know if you don’t like them. I can make you something else.”She said, putting the mixture onto two of the shells and handing the plate to Grillby.

Grillby looked down at the tacos, curious as to how such a strange mixture will taste. He waited until Juliette had her own food before picking up his first taco and bringing it to his face. Juliette tried not to stare but a part of her was fascinated when a mouth formed among the flames the composed Grillby’s body. She finally looked away and picked up her own taco and happily bit into it. She hummed happily as she ate her lunch, savoring the flavors as they burst over her taste buds.

“…This is very good. You should sell this in your new restaurant…”

Juliette nearly dropped the last bit of her taco as she heard the deep, soothing voice wash over her. It reminded her of a camp fire in which only the coals were still burning. The rich timber of Grillby’s voice soothed her mind and made her relax. However, she was so shocked that the man knew how to speak English that she nearly didn’t register what he had said. When his suggestion finally registered, she flushed and glanced as the flame monster. Grillby glanced at her, his flames crackling happily and showing that he was, indeed, pleased with what she had given him.

“A-Are you sure? I mean, it’s just something that my friend had come up with. It’s nothing special.”She said, swallowing nervously before finishing her first taco.

“…I’m positive. This has the potential to become very popular. It would also serve you well in the club…”He said, his voice slow and deep as Juliette glanced at him.

Juliette could see what Grillby meant by the tacos being popular in the club. The tacos could be made smaller, though they’d still be rather filling. She and Angel had been trying to come up with handheld foods for the club that wouldn’t sit too heavy in peoples stomachs. They were designing the kitchens so they could be accessed from both the restaurant and the club since they wanted to offer snack-type food for the club so people wouldn’t just stick around for drinks. Nodding her head, she smiled at Grillby before eating her second taco while Grillby dug into his food. After they finished eating, Juliette rinsed off their plates and the pans before she showed Grillby to the door and thanked him again for helping her and also for the advice. He nodded and patted her on the back before leaving, making her shake her head and close the door.

“That was odd, Shade. I didn’t even know he could speak!”She said, looking down at the dog.

Looking around the apartment, Juliette figured that the day before Thanksgiving she’ll clean the entire place from top to bottom so she can devote her entire time on Thanksgiving to cooking and putting up decorations. The nice thing is that she can use her magic to put up said decorations instead of bringing out the small ladder and fussing with it. Juliette headed to the kitchen and put all of the dishes, including the new plastic dishes she had bought for the holiday into the dishwasher. The dishwasher was fairly groaning with on how many dishes were inside so she decided to wash some of the larger serving plates and bowls by hand. Putting on Pandora on her phone, Juliette sang along to her favorite songs as she washed the dishes and wiped down the counters. When that was finished, she turned off the music only to frown when she heard someone knocking at the door. Shade barked at the door, standing near it and looking at her when she called him back. Juliette walked over and unlocked the door before opening it, a gasp leaving her lips when she saw who was in front of her.

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Now, the last time Juliette had seen her younger sister had been in a photograph her aunt June had taken. June had uploaded pictures of Rebecca’s high school graduation on Facebook. However, she would never forget her beloved little sister and she felt tears gather in her eyes as she looked at her sister. Rebecca had gone from a lightly awkward but pretty teenage girl into a stunningly beautiful woman. Long auburn colored hair fell to Rebecca’s waist as onyx colored eyes sparkled with life and laughter. She’s certainly shot up in height and is now even taller than their mother. She’s dressed in a stylish dark red blouse and a knee length black skirt along with a black jacket. Rebecca beamed down at Juliette and quickly swept her older sister into her arms, tears falling down their cheeks as Juliette hugged her sister back tightly.

“Becca?! What are you doing here?”Juliette asked, leaning up and kissing her sister’s cheek.

“Aunt June invited us to her house for a family gathering. I had your address written down and decided that I needed to see you. It’s been so long!”Rebecca gushed, stepping back and looking her older sister over.

“You look great, by the way! Jason wanted to come but he was called away by work. He tried to get them to send someone else, but apparently he was the only one he could solve the problem.”Rebecca huffed, making Juliette smile softly.

“Hello, dear.”

Juliette nearly flinched at the sound of her mother’s voice. She hadn’t heard her mother’s voice since the day uncle Sebastian had taken her away. Shifting slightly, she looked to her sister’s right side where Megan Thorn stood. Her hair used to be a lush raven black color that had once reached the middle of her back. However, it had lost its luster and is streaked with silver and now reaches her shoulders. Her eyes are a deep hazel color and shimmered faintly in happiness, though there was a tiredness that nearly made Juliette cringe.

“Hello, mother.”She said, nodding tightly as Rebecca looked between them with some worry.

“Come on in. No sense in standing outside in the cold.”Juliette said, stepping aside so the pair could walk into the apartment.

Both Rebecca and Megan looked around in curiosity, though Megan nearly jumped back when Shade trotted over and sniffed her. Rebecca laughed and happily stroked Shade’s head and back, her smile wide as she rubbed his chest. Juliette urged them remove their coats and shoes, which were quickly left near the door. Shifting uneasily, Juliette took her mother and sister on a short tour of the apartment, pointing out the rooms and letting them poke their heads into the different rooms besides Angel’s room. Back in the living room, Juliette got them something to drink while Rebecca looked at the different pictures that hung on the wall, a smile on her face.

“Are these all your friends?”Rebecca asked, turning towards Juliette who smiled at the picture.

It’s a group photo of her, Angel and five other people around their age. She remembered having that picture taken. She had just gotten her apartment and it was before Angel had moved in. Her friends had practically demanded that she have a housewarming party. They had gotten her all kinds of things for her apartment and all of them helped her move out of her uncle’s house in some way.

“Yeah. That was my housewarming party when I first moved in here. Missus Davis took that picture for us. That’s me, Angel, Dylan, Kayla, Brittany, Sydney, Stacy and Brandon. We still hang out and spend time together.”Juliette said, pointing out each person in the picture.

“What about this one?”Rebecca asked, pointing to a newer photo that showed her sister and Angel among a group of monsters.

“Oh! That’s a new photo, only a few days old actually. Of course there’s me and Angel. That’s Ambassador Frisk and his adopted mother Toriel. Next to her is King Asgore and then there’s Undyne and her girlfriend Alphys. On my left is Sans and his younger brother Papyrus. They’ve become close friends of ours over the last month or so. Angel wanted a picture of all of us to hang in our apartment and everyone agreed.”Juliette said, smiling at the memory.

“I didn’t know you had monster friends.”Megan said, looking at the photo with some wariness.

“Of course I do. Monsters are a part of our society and they’re perfectly wonderful. An hour before you showed up a kind monster by the name of Grillby helped me bring up all of my groceries and I made him lunch as thanks.”Juliette snapped, making her mother flinch slightly and look away.

“Jason’s twin brother: Jasper, is married to a rather lovely monster named Thea. They got married as soon as human/monster marriages were legal.”Rebecca said, frowning at their mother as Megan shifted.

“You’d best not tell your father.”Megan said, making her daughters frown and raise an eyebrow.

“Dad’s going to find out one way or another. Jasper is Jason’s best man and Thea is one of my bride’s maids.”Rebecca said, walking over to the couch and sitting down as Megan sighed softly.

“Where is father anyway?”Juliette asked, though her mother could hear the relief in her voice that the man wasn’t there.

“He’s on a business trip in India. He encouraged us to come to Michigan for the family dinner.”Megan answered, Juliette nodding lightly.

“Do you want to come with us to aunt June’s family dinner? I’m sure Veronica would love to see you again.”Rebecca said, smiling at her older sister only for Juliette to shake her head.

“No thanks, Becca. I actually have plans for Thanksgiving. Sans and Papyrus are coming over. It’s their first Thanksgiving and, since Angel is with her family, they wanted to come over here so I wouldn’t be alone. I didn’t know aunt June was having a gathering. I never heard anything about it.”Juliette said, making Rebecca frown while Megan winced slightly and nodded.

“Well, at least you won’t be alone.”Rebecca said, smiling gently as her older sister nodded.

They sat around and chatted for a little while before Rebecca excused herself to the bathroom. The air became heavy and thick between Juliette and her mother. Juliette’s memories of her mother weren’t too fond. After all, her mother hadn’t done anything to protect her from her father and uncle Thomas. Her mother used to hide away in her bedroom whenever the pair rounded on her and only came out when the beatings stopped. Yes, her mother had been kind enough to clean and bandage her wounds, but that was all she would do. She wouldn’t stand up for her, wouldn’t threaten her father with calling the police and certainly never reassured her that everything would get better. She can still remember when her uncle Sebastian came in during one of the beatings and her mother was standing outside the doorway, shaking and crying. Shaking her head, she swallowed thickly and glanced over at her mother.

“Why are you really here?”She asked, her voice soft as Megan looked at her.

“…I…I wanted to see you. It’s been such a long time and I was worried about you.”Megan answered, her voice soft as Juliette raised an eyebrow.

“I told you how I was doing in the e-mail I sent you.”She said, frowning as her mother shifted.

“I’ve missed you, Juliette. It’s been years since I’ve last seen you.”Megan said, sadness in her voice as Juliette snorted.

“You certainly didn’t seem to try hard to keep in contact with me. You could’ve sent letters to e-mails to uncle Sebastian or called me whenever father wasn’t home.”Juliette said, frowning as her mother shifted uneasily.

“I know and I’m sorry. Your father…he was very strict when it came to whoever I was in contact with. I…I wanted to see if we might be able to repair our relationship. I know it’ll take time but-“

“I don’t know if I can trust you, mother. Does Becca even know why uncle Sebastian took me away?’Juliette asked, watching as the older woman shifted uneasily.

“No…all she knows is that you and your father had a very bad relationship and if was better for everyone that you went to live with him.”Megan answered, Juliette nodding her head as she frowned.

“I see. So you told a half-truth. How can you think I will trust you when you can’t even admit what had happened to Rebecca? She, of all people, deserves to know.”Juliette said, scowling as Megan looked at her with sadness and exasperation.

“She would hate her father-“

“Only because she would know what kind of monster he and Thomas are! I never did a thing to deserve the beatings and mental scarring. It’s because of uncle Thomas that I’m blind in my left eye!”Juliette hissed, her mother flinching as she glanced at her daughter’s faded eye.

“Jules? Mom? What’s going on?”Rebecca asked, walking out of the hallway and towards them.

“N-Nothing, sweetheart. I should get going. June and Thomas will need help getting ready for the party.”Megan said, standing up as Juliette avoided looking her mother in her eyes.

“Oh, alright. Mind if I stay for a little while, Jules?”Rebecca asked, smiling at her older sister.

“Sure. It’ll be nice to hang out again.”Juliette said, smiling even though it never reached her eyes.

Their mother left and Juliette spent three hours just talking and laughing with her sister. She forced herself to continue to smile, to show Rebecca that nothing was wrong. It was hard to keep herself from shaking as her thoughts whirled around in her mind. She couldn’t believe that her mother had shown up, especially when her last words had been to her uncle Sebastian when she told him that she never wanted to see her(Juliette) again. Yes, her mother had been kind enough to bandage and tend to her wounds after the beatings but that had been the only thing she had done. It had been traumatizing for her to hear that her own mother wanted nothing to do with her. Now, her mother wants to come back into her life as if nothing had happened; as if she hadn’t said anything so hurtful within earshot of a young, impressionable girl. Her uncle had been the one to comfort her and slowly mend her broken emotions and soul.

Juliette forced herself out of her thoughts and smiled at her sister, asking plenty of questions about her new job as a child psychologist, her husband and their new house in Illinois. Apparently Jason’s family lives in Ohio and with her parents in Minnesota and the rest of their family in Michigan they wanted to be somewhere near central of all those states. She gave Juliette a list of stores where their wedding registry were, which Juliette promised to check it out. Juliette told Rebecca about her and Angel’s business, to which her sister was shocked and also very happy. Rebecca asked plenty of questions and eagerly offered some ideas as to what drinks they could serve in the club and a few dishes that might be good for the restaurant. Juliette wrote down the suggestions and promised to discuss them with Angel. They ended up talking for an hour longer, though Juliette was struggling to keep her anxiety down. However, when Rebecca grabbed her things and put her shoes and coat on, Juliette nearly sagged in relief. She smiled tightly as she showed her sister to the door and hugged her after they exchanged phone numbers. She promised to keep in touch and watched as her sister walked out and down to her car.

Closing the door, Juliette shuddered and stumbled to her bedroom where she collapsed onto her bed. Curling her arms around one of her pillows, she pressed her face against it and screamed; her voice muffled. Shudders wrack her body as her mind was assaulted by the memories of the abuse she suffered from her father and uncle Thomas. However, she jumped when her phone suddenly went off. She hurriedly dug through her pockets before finally pulling out her phone. She blinked when she saw that Sans is calling her before she shook her head and answered the call.

“Hello?”She asked, wincing on how weak and shaky her voice sounds.

“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go out to this club I know of.”Sans asked, making Juliette frown.

“What brought this up?”She asked, listening as Sans shifted on the other line.

“Well, I thought it’d give you some more ideas for your own club and might help out.”Sans said, making Juliette blink in surprise.

Honestly, she really could use a few drinks in her system after the shock of seeing her mom and sister. Also, even though she’s painfully shy around others, she didn’t really mind clubs so long as no one bothered her and let her dance in peace. The idea of knocking back a few drinks and dancing sounded great to her and she instantly made up her mind.

“That sounds great actually. Give me some time to get ready.”She said, listening as Sans chuckled softly.

“Sure thing. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”He said, Juliette sighing in relief.

They hung up and Juliette headed out to the kitchen. She ate a few sandwiches since she didn’t want to drink on an empty stomach. She then took Shade outside to the dog run and let him loose for twenty minutes, smiling as she played fetch and tug-of-war with him. She’s still rattled from having her mother and sister in the apartment, but knowing that Sans will be coming over and taking her somewhere to relax helped to comfort her. After Shade tired himself out, she took him back to the apartment where he settled down in his crate. She groomed Trixie before heading to her room and taking a long shower. The hot water helped to further relax her and she finally felt as if she will be able to smile at Sans without forcing it. After her shower, she put on some makeup and curled her hair before going through her closet for something to wear. She wished that Sans had told her where the club is, but she figured that she’d dress somewhat nicely for the occasion.

Juliette finally decided on a nice dark red blouse and a knee-length black skirt. She slipped on a pair of shorts underneath her skirt, not wanting to accidently flash someone. Looking through her things, she added a simple black lace choker with a dark red ruby attached that she had gotten from her uncle on her sixteenth birthday. Finally, she chose a black clutch in which she slipped in her I.D., money, cell phone and a few other things. She headed out of her room and slipped on a pair of comfortable shoes and a black jacket. Looking at the clock, she jumped when someone knocked on the door. She nervously smoothed down her jacket before mentally scolding herself.

-It’s not like this is a date. He’s just taking you out to a club to relax and hang out.-She thought, opened the door and blinking in surprise when she saw Sans.

He had changed out of his normal outfit which was shocking. Instead of sweat pants, his hoodie and tennis shoes or, in some cases house slippers; he is wearing a pair of jeans, a white shirt and a black jacket which made him look much slimmer than normal. He is still wearing his tennis shoes but these look less scuffed and worn than normal. She shook herself out of her observations and blushed when she saw Sans looking her over with interest. Instead, she turned and flicked on the outside light before closing and locking the door.

“Ready?”Sans asked, his grin widening as Juliette nodded.

He led her down to the parking lot and over to a rather nice motorcycle. She blinked and looked at Sans in surprise as he picked up a helmet and handed it to her. However, Juliette just shrugged and pulled on the helmet, glad that the evening was unusually warm for a November evening in Michigan. Sans pulled on his own helmet and got onto the bike, waiting until he felt Juliette get on behind him. Turning on the engine, he backed out of the parking space and turned around. He leaned forward slightly before turning his head to glance behind him at Juliette.

“Hold on.”

Juliette swallowed tightly, grateful that Sans wasn’t able to see the blush on her face. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his back, closing her eyes as he took off.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

The ride to the club took longer than Juliette thought it would. She was very glad she had chosen to wear knee-high socks since, even though the weather is warm, she was quickly becoming cold as they sped down the roads and highways. Sans ended up driving to Detroit, which surprised her, especially when they pulled up to a rather old and rundown looking building. However, there are a surprising number of vehicles in the parking lot, many of the nicer models. Sans pulled into a spot and parked, turning off the engine and removing his helmet. Juliette flushed slightly and hurriedly unwound her arms from his waist before removing her own helmet. With a quick comb through her hair using her fingers, she handed her helmet to Sans and climbed off of the bike. The skeleton locked the helmets to the bike before he led the way towards the entrance of the club.

A rather intimidating looking man stood near the door. He towered over Juliette and Sans and she could only guess that he’s six foot something with a rather impressive physic. Sans greeted the man warmly, calling him…Rick. Juliette looked up at the bouncer and blinked when she realized that she couldn’t see his face. The hood of his jacket was throwing his face into shadow and it was kind of intimidating. However, when he asked for her I.D. his voice was rather nice and helped her to relax somewhat. The fact that Sans seemed to know him put her at some ease since she trusted him not to let anything happen to her. Rick let them through after handing her back her I.D. and told them to have fun. Sans chuckled softly as he held the door open for Juliette and her eyes widened in wonder as she looked at the inside of the club.

There’s a wide open hallway right in front of the door, in which there’s doors to the bathrooms on either side of the hallway. Walking through the hallway, the pounding beat of music filled her, seeming to make her very bones vibrate and pulse in time. A club is off to the right of the large room and there was a good number of monsters sitting at the bar on stools. A half-wall separated the bar area from the dance floor in which there were plenty of monsters and humans dancing to the music. A small stage stood against the far left wall in front of the dancefloor for bands and singers. There are two pool tables and a dart board to the left of the dancefloor while there are tables and booths to the right of the dancefloor up a few steps. Juliette shifted uneasily when many monsters turned to look at her, though she moved closer to Sans as he walked up to her. She followed him to the bar and smiled shyly as he introduced her to a few monsters he knows. The bartender, a male cat-like monster that reminded her of Catty, looked at her I.D. before he allowed her to order a drink.

“A cherry bomb shot, please.”She said, blinking when the bartender asked for her name.

She quickly realized that he would be keeping a list of what she ordered so he could add everything up without her having to constantly pay. Another bartender, this one a bunny monster, quickly mixed up Juliette’s shot while the main bartender grabbed Sans a bottle of ketchup. Juliette took the shot glass and mentally counted to three before knocking it back in a single go. A few of the other customers whistled at her and cheered though Sans looked rather impressed as he watched her. Juliette ordered another cherry bomb along with a sex on the beach. Again, she knocked back the second shot easily before thanking the bartenders once the placed her third drink in front of her. Instead of taking a drink, she headed towards the booths and tables and climbed up the few steps; Sans following though he waved to a few people he knew. Juliette set her drink down on a booth table in the back corner in which Sans sat down and watched as she removed her jacket and put her clutch into an inner pocket.

“I’m gonna hit the dancefloor.”Juliette said, taking a sip of her drink before setting it back down.

“Alright. Have fun.”Sans said, grinning as she nodded distractedly before heading down to the crowd of bodies.

Sans watched Juliette move through the crowd, his eyes easily picking out her small form among the others. As soon as she started dancing, his eyes widened slightly and he felt a tremor go through his bones. Juliette moved with such grace that it seemed as if she was a part of the music instead of someone just dancing to it. Her body swayed and jumped in time to the pounding beats and he noticed that a few of the monsters and people around her watched her dance before dancing in the same fashion as she is. He was worried honestly. When he had called Juliette he had wanted to bring her here to show her a club that promotes human/monster relationships and prove to her that her and Angel’s cause was a just one. However, when she had picked up he had instantly become worried at the tightness in her voice. She had sounded as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and it almost sounded as if she could’ve begun crying any second. Yes, he had nearly demanded to know what was wrong, but had decided against it. If anything was wrong she would tell him…right?

He had been relieved when she had agreed to come with him to the club and he had heard the note of relief in her voice when she answered him. After hanging up the phone he had warred with himself on if he should change out of his normal outfit. He had finally decided to change; figuring that there was a chance Juliette would dress nicely and he didn’t want to disappoint her. Papyrus had been surprised when he walked into the kitchen to eat something light, though his younger brother had smiled and simply said that he looked nice. He could’ve sworn that Papyrus had grinned when he had told his brother that he was taking Juliette to the club, but Papyrus had simply told him to be safe and that he’ll be spending the night at Frisk’s house. When he arrived at Juliette’s apartment and she opened the door, he had been shocked to see what she had changed into. There was no denying the shiver going down his spine and the way his soul pulsed inside him. He is majorly attracted to Juliette Thorn.

A part of him is positive that she feels the same way. He’s seen the blushes whenever he was close to her. She had clung to him tightly on the ride here and it had felt amazing feeling her pressed against his back with her arms wrapped around his waist. He was glad that he had decided to dress nicer and had nearly grinned when he had seen the surprise in her eyes when she had opened the door and see him. Now, however, he knows that something is up. Angel had told him and the others that Juliette, surprisingly, loves dancing and going to clubs. Apparently it helps her to relax and unwind and the two women had often gone to clubs after stressful days at work. Yes, he is still very worried that something had happened, but he doesn’t want to pry.

“Hey! What’re you doing here?”

Sans jolted slightly and looked up, raising an eyebrow when he saw Undyne standing in front of him.

“Just relaxing.”He said, shrugging as his friend raised an eyebrow.

“Who’s coat?”She asked, noticing the black jacket on the bench seat across from him.

“Jules’. She’s on the dancefloor.”He answered, nodding in the direction of the crowd of bodies.

“And you’re not out there with her?!”Undyne asked, surprise in her voice as Sans shifted and looked at her.

“What can I say, I have two left feet.”He said, grinning as Undyne snorted and shook her head.

“Where’s Alphys?”He asked, turning the conversation away from him.

“Working late. She and the other nerds are close to discovering something. She said that they might be getting close to a cure of some kind of disease.”Undyne said, a note of pride in her voice as Sans blinked and looked at her with interest.

“That’s great.”He said, Undyne beaming as she nodded.

“They’re using a combination of healing magic and some medicine along with Monster Candy. I think she said that they’re trying to make it into a liquid form so they can test it in the lab. It’ll take awhile so I have a feeling she’ll be working late for some time. She tried to apologize but I reminded her that I could care less since she’s making such an improvement for many people’s lives.”Undyne said, Sans humming in agreement.

They both fell into a comfortable silence; Sans looking out at the dancefloor and spotting Juliette once more while Undyne looked around. Both of them blinked when Juliette managed to find her way out of the crowd of dancers and walked over, her face flushed but she is smiling. She waved to Undyne before taking a deep drink from her glass, sighing in relief as the cold drink soothed her throat. Setting her drink down, she looked towards the dancefloor before looking at Sans, only to sigh when he shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin. Pouting, she looked back to the dancefloor before making up her mind. Since Sans wouldn’t get up, she reached over and grabbed Undyne’s hand, making the redhead blink in surprise before she was pulled out of the booth and towards the dancefloor.

“What the hell?”She called, her voice rising so Juliette could hear her over the music.

“C’mon. I wanna dance with someone and Sans is too much of a lazybones.”Juliette said, laughing as Undyne scowled at her.

“I’ll have you know that I-“

“Don’t worry, Undyne. I know you and Alphys are madly in love with each other. Angel, Stacy and I always dance with each other.”Juliette said, her voice louder as she pulled Undyne to the middle of the dancefloor and turned face her.

Undyne watched as Juliette began dancing before sighing and giving in and dancing as well. Neither of them noticed on how many looked at them with interest. However, because of Undyne’s rather impressive height many of the men were rather too intimidated to approach her and Juliette. Besides, many of the monsters respect Sans too much to try anything with the human woman he had brought with him. The pair danced for a few songs before they retreated from the dancefloor and rejoined Sans at the booth. Juliette finished her drink and laughed as she talked to Undyne and Sans about different things. She told them about how she had lunch with Grillby, in which Sans was surprised that the flame monster had actually spoken to her. He explained that he rarely spoke English since so many monsters could understand his normal way of talking. Juliette had figured that Grillby was a monster of few words, something that Sans confirmed.

“So, Undyne, when are you going to ask Alphys to marry you?”Juliette asked, grinning as the monster’s eyes widened as she blushed.

“W-What?!”

“You heard me. You two are absolutely perfect for each other and I can tell that you two love each other deeply.”Juliette said, a smirk on her face as Sans grinned.

“She’s got a point Undyne. You two have been together for three years now.”Sans said, chuckling at the betrayed look his friend shot him.

“I…I’ve been waiting for the perfect time, ya know?”Undyne muttered, shifting as Juliette and Sans looked at each other while grinning.

“I’m sure she’ll love it no matter when you propose to her.”Juliette said, smiling as she lightly patted Undyne’s arm.

“A-Anyway, what brought you two here?”Undyne asked, coughing lightly.

“Just wanted to get out and show this place to Jules.”Sans said, shrugging as Juliette nodded.

“I wanted to get outta the house.”Juliette said, shifting uncomfortably as the other two looked at her with some concern.

“Jules…did something happen earlier before I called you? You sounded…off.”Sans said, concern in his voice as his friend flinched slightly.

“Just…i-it’s nothing, Sans.”Juliette said, standing up and walking towards the bathroom while Undyne and Sans watched her with worry and confusion.

“…Okay…Something rattled her.”Undyne said, frowning as Sans shook his head.

“I figured something happened. Her…her soul was dimmer than normal.”He muttered, making Undyne look at him sharply.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s something I noticed the first time I met her and Angel. Angel’s soul is bright and shimmering, like I expected. However, Juliette’s soul was always more…duller than Angel’s. I figured that something in her past made it like that. However, when she opened the door her soul was hardly glowing. Something happened earlier today that put her in a bad way. It’s brightening, but still not what it normally is.”Sans explained, watching as Undyne frowned and folded her arms across her chest.

Both of them looked up as Juliette walked over, this time with another drink in her hand. Undyne looked over at Sans and noticed the worried light in his eyes. She had a feeling that Juliette is drinking more than any of them had seen before. Sighing softly, Undyne scooted over as Juliette sat down and they chatted about a few more things. Undyne talked about her job and proudly told them about how well Papyrus is doing as a trainer. Sans beamed as Undyne told them about all of the humans and monsters signing up for Papyrus’ training and they were singing praises for it. Juliette was glad that Undyne’s business is flourishing, especially since there have been so many reports of businesses run and employed by monsters being vandalized. Though with all of the glowing praise about Undyne’s gym Juliette figured that there is so much support that it might be a harder target for anti-monster groups.

-Hopefully things continue to go well.-She thought, finishing her drink and listening to what her friends were talking about with some interest.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

The insistent knocking coming from the front door is what Juliette woke up to. Groaning as pain sliced through her head, the woman fumbled around before she was rudely shocked from her stupor by falling out of her bed. Crying out in pain, she hissed and clutched her side before slowly sitting up and rubbing her throbbing head. Juliette instantly regretted swallowing as it felt as if something foul had crawled into her mouth and died before exploding. A soft whine made her look up and she squinted in order to make out the shape of Shade walking over to her. The German Shepard nudged her shoulder before nosing his head underneath her hand. Getting the hint, Juliette used Shade’s solid form to slowly stand up. Gripping onto his fur, she stumbled and tripped her way through the apartment towards the front door where the knocking just _wouldn’t stop_.

“I’m coming, shut up.”She rasped, fumbling with the locks before she managed to crack the door open.

Instantly the sunlight stung her eyes, causing her to groan in pain and lift one of her hands to shield her eyes. It took her a moment to realize that Sans is standing in front of her dressed in his normal hoodie, shorts and tennis shoes.

“Sans? What are you doing here?”She muttered, frowning as the skeleton snorted in amusement.

“You don’t remember much, do ya?”He asked, making Juliette frown as she stepped back.

“No. C’mon in.”She muttered, stepping back and letting the skeleton inside.

Sans stepped inside and looked at Juliette, wincing when he saw that she looked like shit. Her hair was messed up, what little makeup she had been wearing from the night before was smeared across her face and her clothing was wrinkled. He had brought her home the night before since she had gotten rather drunk. Actually, Undyne had driven her home while he had followed behind on his motorcycle. He hadn’t trusted her enough to hold on while he drove. Undyne had thankfully helped him by getting her dressed in more comfortable clothing while he took Shade out and ensure that he and Trixie were fed and watered. He had thought about leaving her be today, but he truly was worried about her and hoped that she might open up about what had caused her to drink like that.

“I take it you have a massive hangover.”He said, chuckling as Juliette glared balefully at him.

“No shit. Give me a minute to get something to make this drummer stop using my skull for band practice.”She muttered, staggering back to her room with Shade pressed against her side to ensure she didn’t fall.

Looking around the apartment, Sans decided to take pity on Juliette. From what he heard from Angel, in which he had called her last night while Undyne was helping Juliette, she never drank unless she had a really bad day or something severely emotional happened. Sighing, he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a few things to make breakfast for Juliette. He didn’t really mind that she was taking her sweet time in getting ready and figured that she was likely taking a shower and getting some medication in her. He used his magic to ensure the eggs didn’t burn while he made some French toast and dug around the fridge for some syrup. By the time he had a decent breakfast on a plate for Juliette, along with some eggs for himself, she finally emerged from the hallway looking a hell of a lot better. Her hair is damp, which proved his idea that she had taken a shower to wake herself up.

“S-Sans?! What is this?”She asked, looking at the breakfast in surprise.

“You looked like death warmed over, kid. Thought I’d make ya something.”He said, shrugging as he hopped up onto one of the stools after drenching his eggs in ketchup.

“…Thanks…”Juliette muttered, blushing as she added peanut butter and syrup to her French toast.

She got herself a glass of milk and sat down next to Sans, sighing in relief and happiness at the first bite of egg. She was surprised on how good a cook Sans is, but then again, she figured that he would need to know how to cook considering he had told her that it had been just him and Papyrus since they were young. They ate in silence for a while before Sans finally broached the proverbial elephant in the room.

“What do you remember from last night?”He asked, glancing over at Juliette as she paused and blinked.

“Um…I remember ordering a fourth drink and dancing again…I vaguely remember Undyne helping me into her car…”Juliette said, frowning deeply as Sans nodded.

“You had about five drinks last night, kid. I didn’t wanna risk you falling off the back of the bike so Undyne brought you back here and I followed behind. She helped you when you got sick in the parking lot. She helped you eat something small and then get out of your clothes and into something more comfortable. I took Shade out and fed him and Trix.”Sans explained, watching as Juliette blushed and looked down in shame.

“Sorry ‘bout that.”She muttered, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I take it something bad happened to make you drink like that? You don’t seem like much of a big drinker to me.”Sans said, watching as Juliette pushed around her eggs as she stared down at her plate.

“…No…I hardly drink at all. Hell, Angel has to remind me I even have drinks in the fridge most of the time.”Juliette sighed, Sans looking at her and waiting.

“My…childhood isn’t the best and I had a huge and I mean _huge_ falling out with my parents. My uncle Sebastian took me in when I was ten and raised me until he passed when I was seventeen. Gave me his estate and fortune which is why Angel and I can afford to buy and start our own business along with living here.”Juliette began, glancing over at Sans who simply nodded.

“Well…I found out that my younger sister is getting married next May. My mother e-mailed me and I gave her my address so Rebecca can send me the official invite…well she and our mother showed up outta nowhere yesterday an hour after Grillby left. I had some…rather harsh words with my mother before she left and then I hung out with Becca for a little while longer. When you called me I was in the middle of a near breakdown. I haven’t had any real contact with my parents and sister since I was twelve when they moved to Minnesota.”She explained, making Sans blink when he heard the strain in her voice.

He lightly reached over and gently rubbed the woman’s back, making Juliette stiffen slightly before she relaxed. Sans could tell that Juliette wasn’t telling him everything, but he didn’t really blame her. From what he could tell from her body language she is struggling in telling him this much about her past. He also knew that Angel wouldn’t tell him anything about Juliette’s past either; he’ll have to wait until she’s comfortable enough to tell him on her own. After Juliette calmed down some, they ate their breakfasts in companionable silence. Once they finished eating, Juliette took their plates and rinsed them off, blinking when Sans leaned against the counter and just watched her.

“Hey, what does a skeleton tile his roof with?”He asked, making the woman raise an eyebrow.

“…I don’t know.”She said, shaking her head as she added a plate to the dishwasher.

“ _Shin_ -gles.”Sans finished, making Juliette stare at him before her mouth quirked into a grin.

“Alright, that was okay.”She muttered, turning her attention back to the dishes.

“Where do skeletons play music?”

“Where?”

“At Cartilage Hall.”Sans said, his grin widening when Juliette bit her lip and tried not to giggle.

“Stop it, Sans.”She said, trying to hide her smile from the skeleton.

“Why did the ghost take the elevator?”Sans asked, watching as Juliette rolled her eyes and fought back a smile.

“Let me guess, to lift his spirit?”She asked, blinking as Sans chuckled and nodded.

“Exactly.”

“Okay, okay, bonehead, I’ve got one for ya. What do you call a plate of spaghetti made by a skeleton?”She asked, tilting her head to the side as Sans hummed as he thought.

“I don’t know, what?”

“A creepypasta.”She said, grinning as Sans laughed softly and shook his head.

“That was pretty good, kid.”

Juliette giggled as Sans grinned at her. Even though it was embarrassing that he and Undyne had seen her in a bad way the night before, she had to admit that it was nice that Sans had come over to check on her. After the dishes were in the washer, Sans said that he had to leave. Juliette walked him to the door and, before he opened it, she reached over and hugged him. Sans blinked in surprise, looking down at Juliette before he carefully wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

“Thank you, Sans. You didn’t have to check on me.”She whispered, her voice soft as Sans felt his cheekbones flush.

“Hey, you’re a friend and I always look out for my friends.”He said, his grin sheepish as Juliette looked up and smiled.

“Still.”She muttered, shrugging lightly before releasing him.

Sans nodded and waved goodbye before heading out in which Juliette watched him head down to the parking lot and climb onto his motorcycle. She took Shade outside to run around and called Angel, to which her friend had a mini freak out and demanded to know what happened. Juliette explained everything to Angel, telling her about how her mother and sister paid a surprise visit and it messed her up in the worst way. Angel gently scolded Juliette for getting drunk, though she admitted that things had gotten out of hand and she couldn’t really blame Juliette for freaking out. Angel talked about her relatives and how boring it is at her aunt’s house; how she’s sharing a room with her siblings which is awkward and slightly annoying. Juliette laughed, knowing that sharing a motel room with two teenagers would be very annoying for someone who’s used to having their own space for a small number of years now.

After talking for a little while, Juliette hung up and texted Undyne; thanking her for helping her out last night. Undyne instantly texted back; asking if she was really alright and if she needed to talk. Juliette was touched by the concern, knowing that Undyne was never really one to express ‘weak’ emotions like others. However, she reassured her friend that she’s alright and she was just majorly stressed out the night before; hence why she drank so much. Undyne asked if she wanted to come over and hang out, though Juliette politely declined, explaining that she just wants to relax and laze around the apartment for the day. Heading back inside, Juliette wandered around the apartment, gathering supplies to feed her need to laze around. Tomorrow is the day before Thanksgiving and she will be massively cleaning and decorating and most likely begin making preparations for the actual holiday.

Focusing on her magic, she felt the shift in power as she walked into her room. With a flick of her wrist she gathered all of her pillows and her two blankets. They followed her in the air as she walked back to the living room and set one of the larger, more comfortable blankets on the floor. She then created a rather fluffy circle using her pillows before draping the second blanket over the entire thing. Shade and Trixie watched her as she gathered all of the blankets from the basket by the recliner and added those to her nest. Moving into the kitchen, she pulled out a wine cooler and made herself a bowl of popcorn to which she doused it in butter and added Snow Caps, creating a chocolaty/buttery goodness. Carrying her treats back to the living room, she paused and used her magic to get Shade and Trixie some treats as well. Setting her things down in the nest, she used her magic to close all of the blinds, grateful that she and Angel had splurged on the black-out curtains.

With the apartment plunged into darkness, Juliette lit a few of the candles around the living room and snagged the remote for T.V. She settled in her nest and smiled when Shade and Trixie joined her, both of them lying against her sides and happily eating their treats. Turning on the T.V., Juliette quickly brought up Netflix and browsed through the selections before settling on Xena: Warrior Princess season one. She used to love that show along with Hercules and she had been overjoyed when Angel pointed out that Netflix has the entire series. However, she had never found the time to just relax and binge watch the first season.

Juliette made it to episode ten before she had to get up and take Shade outside. She also took the time to wander over to the clubhouse and get the mail. One thing she didn’t like about living in an apartment is having to walk all the way to the clubhouse just to get their mail and any packages that they wanted delivered. Thankfully the clubhouse has consistent hours and the only days they’re closed is Sundays. Shade eagerly trotted along beside her, happily greeting anyone they passed. Heading back to the apartment, Juliette flicked through the mail and, once inside, put Angel’s mail in her room on her bed. She opened her mail and frowned at some of the bills before setting them on her desk to be paid later. She settled back into her nest and sighed in content as she wrapped herself up in a blanket and went back to her show. However, she was only two episodes in when someone knocked on her door. Groaning, she unwound herself from her little haven and walked to the door, blinking when it revealed Alphys standing there nervously.

“Alphys?!”She asked, surprise in her voice as the monster smiled nervously at her.

“H-Hey, Juliette. U-Undyne said that y-you might want some company. D-Do you mind if I come in?”She asked, her voice soft as Juliette blinked before smiling softly.

“Come on in. I hope you don’t mind, I’ve been binge-watching Xena.”Juliette said, stepping aside and letting the other woman in.

“Wow, i-it’s really d-dark in here.”Alphys said, looking around as she removed her shoes and light jacket.

“Heh, yeah, sorry. I tend to feel more comfortable and relaxed in the dark. Do you want something to drink?”Juliette said, blushing when Alphys looked at her nest on the ground with interest.

“S-Sure. Whatever you’re having is f-fine.”Alphys said, smiling shyly at the dark-haired woman.

“Alright, strawberry wine cooler it is.”Juliette said, heading into the kitchen and snagging a drink from the fridge.

“S-So what’s Xena about?”Alphys asked, looking at the paused episode with interest.

“Oh man! C’mon, sit down and I’ll restart the season. You see, it’s about this woman who-“

Alphys listened with rapt attention as Juliette talked about the Greek Gods and Goddesses and the massive role they played in the series. The more Juliette talked about the series, the more interested she became until the other woman finally stopped explaining some of the plot points and picked up the remote to choose from the episode guide. As the first episode played, both of them leaned back against the pillows and snacked on popcorn while Shade and Trixie lounged around with them. Juliette glanced over at Alphys on occasion, grinning when she saw that her friend was steadily becoming more and more engrossed with the series and the trials and adventures of Xena and Gabriel. She also had no doubt that Alphys would soon be signing up for Netflix and that she would introduce Undyne to the series as well. She had a feeling that Undyne would find Xena awesome given her battle powers and strength.

-Today wasn’t so bad after all.-She thought, turning her attention back to the show.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

A/N: longer section

The day before Thanksgiving, Juliette woke up at a decent time and began the lengthy process the scrubbing the apartment from top to bottom. Shade and Trixie were put in their crates as she vacuumed, in which she used her magic to lift the furniture into the air to clean underneath them. She also broke out the paint to touch up the walls where the recliner has hit the wall one too many times or the one time she and Angel had gotten into a fight and had ended up tackling each other. That had been an interesting story for their downstairs neighbors. She even ventured into Angel’s room to make sense of the mess in there, in which she sent a before and after picture to her friend much to Angel’s surprise and amusement. She also scrubbed down the bathrooms using bleach and a scrub brush. She also snagged every piece of laundry that needed to be done and carried the two large bags down to the laundry room.

While the laundry was being washed, she broke out the decorations and began stringing them up. Banners were hung using hooks that had been there from the first year she and Angel lived in the apartment and had decided to hang up snowflake styled lights for Christmas. She let Shade and Trixie out of their crates after putting slip covers over the sectional and the recliner. The two animals stayed well away from the bathrooms as the scent of bleach bothered their noses. Juliette took pity on the animals and opened all the windows, letting fresh air circulate through the apartment. She changed the curtains in the living and dining room to a deep reddish orange color to add some more festive colors to the apartment after lunch. When she took out the three large trash bags she had managed to fill, she blinked and smiled at Grillby when she saw him drive by. Alphys had mentioned that New Grillby’s is going to be opened very soon and she honestly couldn’t wait to sample Grillby’s cooking. According to Alphys and Sans, the man made mouthwatering burgers so she’s rather eager to give one a try.

Once the apartment was cleaned and the laundry was done, folded and put away, she collapsed onto the sectional and nearly passed out. She couldn’t muster up the energy to get up and cook and she also reasoned that she’ll be getting up early in the morning to set everything up and get everything made in time for the brothers to come over. With that in mind, she used her magic to bring the small binder filled with takeout and delivery menus along with her cell. She soon placed an order to her favorite Chinese place in town and was grateful that they deliver. While waiting for her food to arrive, she took Shade out and brought out of her laptop. Her food arrived before she got settled into a new game and she happily paid the delivery boy and gave him a generous tip, to which he beamed and nodded at her before darting back down the stairs. With food in hand and a glass of juice, Juliette settled down and played the latest game from Big Fish games until she was nearly falling asleep on the couch. She shadow-walked into her room after taking Shade out one last time and simply pulled off her clothes before collapsing into bed.

Unfortunately, like all mornings in which you know you have a lot to do, it seemed to come much too early. Juliette groaned and cursed as her alarm blared at her. However, as much as she wanted to simply shut off her alarm and roll over to get some more sleep, she dragged herself out of bed and went through her morning routine. Dressed in a baggy shirt and torn jeans, she rolled up her sleeves and tied her hair back after she took Shade out for his morning walk around the complex. Using her magic, Juliette brought down the slow-cooker and pulled out the turkey from the fridge where she had put it yesterday morning so it will have thawed out. Unwrapping it, she began the process of gutting it and lightly seasoning it. Putting it in the slow-cooker she turned it on low and added water, ensuring that it wouldn’t burn. Shade and Trixie watched, both hopeful for any handouts as she then pulled out what she needed to make the pumpkin pie. It would need time to set and making it by hand meant that she needs the time to whip everything together.

It was just after she had everything in the mixing bowl when her phone went off. Cursing at her messy hands, her magic flared as she used it to answer her phone and press it against her ear.

“Hello?”

“Juliette! It is I, the _great Papyrus_!”came the loud and eager voice which made Juliette wince.

“Morning, Pap. What’s up?”She asked, setting the mixing bowl into its place under the mixer.

“I was just calling to make sure you’re positive that you don’t need me or Sans to bring anything for dinner tonight. You know I can always bring my _famous_ spaghetti.”Papyrus gushed, making Juliette smile as her magic floated her phone to her other ear.

“I’m positive, Pap. Hey, do you know if Sans doesn’t like anything in specific? I know he said he wouldn’t care but I just want to double check. I’m making a number of dishes that you two might not have had before.”She said, turning on the sink and scrubbing her hands clean.

“Hmm…I cannot think of anything. Sans will eat just about anything, the lazybones. I’m also positive that I will _love_ anything you make us!”

“Awe, thanks Pap. Tell Sans I bought enough ketchup that he won’t have to bring his own. Feel free to bring anything you might want to drink if you think I won’t have it.”She said, smiling as she moved back to the fridge and pulled out the fixings to make her own whip crème.

“Will do! See you at four!”

“Bye, Pap.”

Hanging up, Juliette turned the mixing bowl on and watched it carefully as she began making the whip crème. A part of her is nervous that the brothers might not like what she’s making for dinner, but another part of her keeps trying to reassure the other part by stating that the brothers will most likely love her cooking and hopefully want to come over more often. She worked endlessly on the pie and eventually, after an hour, had the entire thing in the fridge to cool and set. Only then did she make herself something to eat for breakfast before she washed the dishes and settled down. At different times she checked on the turkey as a delicious scent soon filled the entire apartment. Shade was nearly drooling as he watched her go to and from the kitchen throughout the day and when she began making her special cheesy/garlic mashed potatoes, he whined and she finally took pity on him by giving him a treat.

Juliette also made stuffing, homemade gravy, rolls, fresh peas and carrots, cranberry sauce and angel hair pasta. As four o’clock neared, she set the table and had their settings in place. Everything was covered on the stove, waiting for her to put it in the serving bowls and plates. A quick dash to her bathroom and Juliette hurriedly showered one last time and dressed in a nice blouse, a skirt that went past her knees and mentally debated on adding any makeup. Looking at the scar bisecting her eye, she let out a huge breath and decided to leave it be, knowing that she could trust Sans and Papyrus not to stare at her and think her strange. Just as she left her room, there was an eager knock at her door. She smiled brightly and hurried to the door, opening it to reveal the two skeleton brothers.

“Hey guys! C’mon in!”Juliette gushed, smiling brightly at them.

Sans and Papyrus had certainly made an effort to dress nicer which made her smile. Sans is still in his normal hoodie, but had dressed in jeans instead of his shorts. Papyrus had dressed in a rather nice dark red shirt and jeans and took off his gloves as soon as he was inside. Shade instantly bounded over and demanded petting from both of them, to which Juliette snickered and shook her head fondly.

“It smells amazing in here!”Papyrus gushed, smiling brightly as he stooped down to pet Shade’s head.

“Thanks. I’ve been slow cooking the turkey since early this morning. Go ahead and take a seat at the table. I’ll get everything onto the plates.”Juliette said, smiling as she led the way to the kitchen and dining room.

“Thanks for havin’ us.”Sans said, sitting down in a chair across from his brother.

“No problem. It’s nice not being alone for this. I’m glad that you guys decided to come over.”Juliette said, carefully moving the turkey onto the largest serving plate and carrying it to the table.

Sans and Papyrus watched with interest as she carried out bowls and plates of different food. She ensured that they had napkins readily available and got them and herself something to drink. Sans grinned at her when she simply handed him a new bottle of ketchup, to which she snorted softly and shook her head fondly. Looking at the brothers, she smiled and handed Papyrus a knife and urged him to carve into the turkey, to which he looked at her in surprise before beaming and eagerly getting himself a nice chunk of meat. Sans helped himself and Juliette went last, smiling as the brothers added a little bit of everything to their plate. She did the same and explained that after dinner they can watch a movie so they can relax before having pie. Both skeletons were rather interested in the different movies Juliette told them about, though they fell silent as soon as they began eating. Juliette swallowed thickly as she watched them eat and forced herself to eat as well even though she wanted to know what they thought.

“This is…this is really good.”Sans said, surprise in his voice as Juliette blinked and beamed at him.

“Sans is right, Juliette! This is _amazing_!”Papyrus gushed, eagerly taking another bite as Juliette blushed and ducked her head.

“I’m glad that you guys like it.”She said, smiling shyly at them.

Conversation was light and cheerful as they ate. Juliette gushed about how everything is coming together nicely with her and Angel’s business and the brothers were more than interested in hearing that they’re already sending out help wanted notices. Papyrus happily talked about how Undyne’s gym now has over twenty people who have signed up for memberships which meant that she’ll be building an even better reputation for herself and the gym. Also she’s apparently thinking about expanding the gym a little more to include a pool for people who are interested in using swimming as a form of exercise. Sans talked about his few odd jobs, one of which is helping Toriel in her school by filling in as a sub-custodian. Juliette was surprised in hearing that, since all Sans and Papyrus had told her was that Sans often worked from home or did an odd job here or there.

“So, Frisk’s birthday is coming up soon; December 1st. Toriel wanted to know if you and Angel would be interested in comin’.”Sans said, taking a bite of his turkey.

“Sure. Angel will be coming back in two days. Do you know what Frisk likes? It wouldn’t feel right if we went empty handed.”Juliette said, smiling faintly as Sans chuckled.

“He likes video games, cars, reading, movies, the works. I’ll see about getting’ you two a list from ‘im.”Sans said, Juliette smiling gratefully at him.

Dinner continued for another ten minutes before all of them called it quits. Admittedly, all of them had seconds of almost everything and there is still some leftovers remaining. Papyrus practically demanded that Juliette let him help in clearing the table, to which she flushed and agreed, knowing that the tall skeleton wouldn’t listen if she said no. As she and Papyrus carried the plates and bowls into the kitchen, she raised an eyebrow as Sans teleported to her couch and just seemed to…sink into the cushions.

“ _Sans_! Will you stop being such a lazybones?! You should be helping us after Juliette made us such a wonderful dinner!”Papyrus cried, putting his hands on his hips as Sans’ grin widened slightly.

“Sorry bro, but all that turkey really made me _bone tired_.”He drawled, chuckling as Papyrus cried out in frustration while Juliette quickly turned around to hide her smile.

“Will you _stop that_?!”Papyrus exclaimed, making Sans chuckle as Juliette bit down on her fist as she began chuckling.

Unfortunately Papyrus must’ve heard her laughter before she was able to stifle it. Turning around, he shot her a betrayed look, which only got worse when he saw the laughter clearly in her eyes.

“Not you as well?!”He cried, disbelief in his voice as Sans looked at Juliette with a wide grin.

“Sorry, Paps, but I kinda found that-“

“No! I refuse to listen anymore! If both of you will not cease in these…shenanigans then I am leaving!”He cried, interrupting Juliette before she could finish her statement.

“Awe, don’t leave Papyrus. We’ll behave, won’t we, Sans?”Juliette asked, leaning slightly so she could look at the other skeleton.

“I’ll try, but I ain’t makin’ any promises.”Sans said, shrugging as Papyrus looked at them with narrowed eye sockets before nodding.

Juliette and Papyrus soon had everything sorted into plastic tubs and stored into the fridge. The plates, bowls, cups and silverware were all in the sink soaking in hot, soapy water. They made their way into the living room and Juliette turned on the T.V. before putting in Pocahontas. While it wasn’t fully about Thanksgiving, she figured it would be a decent choice considering the holiday. Walking over to the sectional, she blinked when she saw that Papyrus had actually sprawled out on the sectional for once and the only other space was next to Sans. Shrugging lightly, she sat down beside the lazy monster and pressed play on the remote. By now, the brother’s knew that many, if not most Disney movies involve singing, so they weren’t really surprised when the characters began singing. Juliette couldn’t really help herself and sang softly under her breath, smiling as she watched one of her favorite movies.

Meanwhile, Sans glanced down at Juliette, fighting back a smile as he listened to her. He had been surprised when Angel had asked if he and Papyrus could keep Juliette company, especially on today. Of course he had no problem in agreeing and telling Papyrus he had done a good job in agreeing. Undyne had texted him the day before yesterday and explained that Alphys had hung out with Juliette, which made him…relieved. When Juliette had told him that her childhood hadn’t been a happy one, he could see that she was lonely; it wasn’t that hard to tell. He also had a feeling that Angel worried about the other woman being alone much like he worried about Papyrus whenever he had to leave his younger brother alone. He hadn’t thought much when Papyrus demanded that he make an effort in cleaning up a little, but found himself listening to his brother and putting some more effort into what he’s wearing for when they head off to Juliette’s. When she had opened the door, he had been shocked when he had seen her.

It was apparent that she had dressed up, and she looked amazing. However, he also saw the scar bisecting her left eye. What shocked him the most was the anger that began to boil in his soul. Someone had hurt her and apparently it was enough that it left her blind in her eye. She had told all of them during one of their movie nights that she’s blind in her left eye, though she had quickly brushed it aside; stating that it had happened during a car accident. He couldn’t think of anything in a car accident that could cause a cut like that unless a piece of glass would’ve shot into her eye. Even then the probability of the cut being so clean and straight wouldn’t have been very high. He had quickly forced that anger back, slightly taken aback by it. Yes, he admitted to himself that Juliette is a very attractive woman and he would love the chance to get to know her on a more…intimate level but he has no idea if she’s even looking for a relationship or if she’d really even want to date a monster. He knows that he and his brother are unsettling to say the least. Why would Juliette want to date someone like him when she can have another human?

“You okay, Sans?”Juliette whispered, tilting her head to the side as the monster blinked and looked at her with surprise.

“Huh? Y-Yeah, I’m good. Just lost in thought.”Sans said, Juliette frowning lightly when she saw that his grin didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Sans turned his attention back to the movie and, surprisingly, enjoyed it. Papyrus asked plenty of questions when the movie ended and was overjoyed when he learned that there’s a sequel. Juliette, however, managed to prevent Papyrus from demanding to see the sequel instantly by asking him and Sans if they were ready for dessert. When the brothers agreed, they headed back to the dining room and Juliette got the pie and the whipped crème from the fridge. She added a generous amount of the whipped crème to the pie before cutting each of them a generous piece. Setting the plates down, she sat and smiled when the brothers quickly took a bite of the pie. However, she blushed when Papyrus started complimenting her cooking abilities. However, what Sans said made her blush deeply.

“Damn, kid. This is practically as good as Torie’s pie.”Sans said, making Juliette blush something fierce at such high praise.

After eating their pieces, Juliette packed them each another piece to take home, which they thanked her generously. She also gave them some leftover turkey; claiming that if she didn’t then she and Angel will be eating turkey for the next five days. Sans and Papyrus did stay for awhile longer and they ended up playing Clue, which Papyrus loved and, surprisingly, Sans got into the game as well. It was during their second round of Clue, Sans won the first round, when someone knocked on the door. Juliette frowned and stood up, the brothers watching her closely as she walked over to the door and opened it. She was shocked to see Rebecca standing there holding a plastic bag which obviously had a few containers inside.

“Becca? What are you doing here?”Juliette asked, blinking when her sister smiled.

“I didn’t want you to be alone today so I managed to leave the gathering early-“Becca began, her voice tapering off when she saw Sans and Papyrus standing nearby.

“O-Oh. I didn’t know you had guests over.”She said, blinking as Sans shifted while Papyrus smiled at her.

“Hello, human! I am the _great_ Papyrus! This is my brother Sans.”Papyrus exclaimed, making Juliette smile faintly at the tall skeleton.

“Remember? I told you that I’m having company over today.”Juliette said, making her sister swallow and nod.

“S-Sorry. I…I forgot-“

“It’s okay, Becca. Though I’m good on food; I have plenty of leftovers even with what these two are going to be taking with them.”Juliette said, stepping aside to let her little sister in.

“Heh…I’d better go. I don’t want to interrupt anything. I should’ve called or texted.”Rebecca said, smiling faintly as Juliette blinked.

“Oh…alright. Will you be in state tomorrow?”Juliette asked, watching as Rebecca sighed.

“Mom and I are heading out tomorrow morning. Dad’s coming back from his trip early so mom wants to be there when he gets home.”She explained, not noticing the way Juliette tensed when her father was mentioned; though Sans did.

“Ah. Well, I hope you have a safe trip. Thanks for thinking of me.”Juliette said, pulling Rebecca into a hug.

“Of course I think of you! You’re my big sister.”Rebecca said, smiling as she hugged Juliette back.

Rebecca waved at Sans and Papyrus before she turned and headed back downstairs. Juliette closed the door and stood there for a second before she turned and smiled at the brothers. Sans, however, saw the strain in her smile and could hear the false cheerfulness as Juliette proclaimed that they get back to their game. As they got back to their game, Sans also noticed that, apparently, his brother also picked up on Juliette’s mood shift. Papyrus was overly cheerful and made random comments and struck a few poses, making Juliette giggle softly. Sans’ grin widened slightly as he watched his brother try and cheer Juliette up, knowing that they could always depend on him.

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	6. Revelations and Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. So I hadn’t thought that I would get this far everyone! I can honestly say that the ideas for this story have overpowered my writers block and got me raring to go! I do have some major plans and you will see more and more time jumps in the chapters. Now, I am also getting ideas for a possible new Undertale story but those need to be hashed out and written down before I even think of possibly writing another one. I want this one completed before I do anything else. I have to say, I haven’t been this excited about writing in quite some time and that’s saying a lot. Anyway, I do hope you all have been enjoying this story thus far and I love knowing what you think! 
> 
> Dedications: I would like to dedicate this story to rosesandspades713 for her wonderful story ‘tonight I’ll need you to stay’.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own the character from Undertale. They belong to the talented Toby Fox and those who helped him create his wonderful game. I only own the plot and original characters.
> 
> Warnings: Post-Pacifist, Male!Frisk, Mute!Frisk, swearing, fighting, angst and fluff, past abuse, same gender relationships, monsterphobia, racism, blood, some gore, sexual themes(later in the story), many OC’s, main character is an OFC.
> 
> Pairings: Sans/Juliette(OFC), Papyrus/Angel(OFC), Undyne/Alphys

-Thoughts-

_ Text _

_[Signing]_

_Emphasis on words_

 

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

By the time Angel returned home Juliette had already gotten the list of things Frisk wants for his birthday. Thankfully, the list had been altered so there hopefully won’t be any doubles of some of the things on his list. Sans had also explained that if someone in their circle of friends got Frisk something then they’ll text it to the others to ensure everyone can update their lists to keep on top of everything. Angel was overjoyed in learning about Frisk’s birthday and had eagerly copied the list of desired gifts down. Everything was settling down slightly, though Angel and Juliette were busy in conducting interviews for employees and trying to schedule when training could begin for those who aren’t familiar with the food business. They were also running into some problems in hiring security for the club side of the business. It had been agreed upon that they’ll have two heads of security: one human and one monster. There was no doubt in their minds that people would get rowdy and heated if something happened when alcohol is involved that they wanted cover their asses and those of their employees and business.

It was difficult finding someone with experience in being in the security business who wanted to work alongside a monster but they finally found someone two days before the first of December. His name is ‘Rich’ Michaels and boy was he intimidating. Rich is built big and both girls have no doubt that the man could hold his own in a fight. With thinning dark brown hair, sharp dark blue eyes and a leather motorcycle jacket they felt slightly intimidated themselves. However, he proved to be a very respectful man and when he smiled it was like he transformed into a completely different person. He greatly supported the idea of hiring both monsters and humans as bouncers and was more than willing to work alongside a monster as head of security for the place. By the time their first interview with the man was over, both girls were practically ready to hire him right then and there. However, they knew that they had to be fair and consider all applicants for the position.

Another thing Juliette and Angel decided on was to get rid of tips. All of their employees will be paid a starting rate of nine-twenty-five an hour; including the waitresses. If a customer wanted to leave a tip then those tips are to go to a fund that will help provide bonuses and raises for the employees or even go to a charity of the entire work force’s choosing. Needless to say when they let this information be known in the interviews, more and more people were willing to take waiter/waitress positions. They spent long hours at home discussing the interviews and the people they saw. The day before December first, they finally settled on who they wanted to call back for a second interview for their waiters/waitresses and their assistant manager. Both of them wanted someone who could help them run the place whenever either of them had the day off. The man who they had high hopes for is an older man who has experience in being the manager of a restaurant and also a bar. He had quit his former job when it became apparent that his bosses disliked monsters and actively spoke out against them; something that he was strongly against.

It took them four hours to call back everyone they wanted to go through a second interview with and plan out the dates, times and locations for each interview. Of course they wrote down everything on the whiteboard and in each person’s file. Both girls were eager to have their workforce selected, though they still haven’t found someone to fill the slot of their Monster head of security. They finally took a break from their fretting and planning by going out shopping for Frisk’s gifts. From Toriel they discovered that Alphys had bought the boy a 3DS and one game. However, no one had yet bought Frisk anything based on Pokémon. Angel had gotten into a rather lively discussion with Frisk on Pokémon a week ago, to which she discovered that the boy had recently discovered the games and loved them. Angel, being an avid lover of Pokémon herself, bought Frisk two Pokémon games for his 3DS along with a carrying case for the handheld counsel and his games. She also got him a small Pikachu plushy which made Juliette laugh and shake her head.

Juliette decided to get Frisk the boxset of Percy Jackson series along with a coloring book based on the books. She and Angel sent out texts stating what they got incase some of the others hadn’t gotten Frisk any gifts yet. Heading back towards the apartment, they slowed down as they came up to New Grillby’s, their eyes wide when they saw the old styled neon sign lit up and the open sign in the window. Looking at each other, they grinned and sped up to get to the apartment faster. They rushed through in getting their purchases to the apartment and taking Shade outside to go to the bathroom. It is cold enough that they both bundled up in hats, gloves, scarves and their winter jackets before they ventured back outside and walked into town. The walk to New Grillby’s took them about fifteen minutes and the sun sank beyond the horizon by the time they pushed open the door.

Instantly the warmth of the place comforted them along with the scent of good food. Monsters were the main customers and many of them turned towards the girls and looked at them with some apprehension. However, when they saw the smile and wave Grillby gave them, they slowly relaxed and offered a few smiles to the girls as they headed to the bar.

“Hey, Grillby! This your first day being open?”Angel asked, watching as the man nodded.

“We were wondering when you’d be open for business.”Juliette said, smiling warmly at him.

Both of them looked up at the small menu hanging on the wall above the bar. Angel decided on the hamburger, fully loaded while Juliette decided on a simple cheeseburger with just cheese and ketchup. Both of them agreed to share an order of cheesy fries. Grillby took their orders and gave them a rather…interesting looking drink that is a rather fascinating bright red color before he disappeared into the kitchens. Juliette looked over to a round table to the right when howling came from it and watched as a group of dog monsters were apparently playing cards. However, instead of playing for money it looks like they’re playing for bones. Angel giggled softly when she saw what her friend was looking at, shaking her head before taking a sip of her drink. The taste of strawberries burst over her taste buds before warmth spread through her; causing her to shudder lightly before she looked down at the glass in amazement.

“That’s fuckin’ delicious!”She muttered, taking another, deeper drink.

“I’d take it easy if I were you. Grillbz uses magic in his drinks. Don’t know how strong they are for humans.”

Both Angel and Juliette jumped in fright at the deep voice behind them. However, whirling around on their stools revealed a grinning Sans looking at them. Angel glared at him while Juliette shook her head as the skeleton walked over and sat down on the stool beside her. Grillby walked over and nodded at Sans as he set down the girls’ food. He disappeared back into the kitchen after setting down a bottle of ketchup in front of Sans; apparently already knowing what the skeleton wanted to eat. Sans’ grin widened as Angel and Juliette added ketchup to their food before picking up their burgers. Both of them had nearly begun salivating when Grillby had brought out their meal and they couldn’t wait to actually bite into them. Glancing at each other, they both took a huge bite and nearly moaned as their taste buds took a trip to heaven. Sans chuckled at the blissed out looks on their faces, shaking his head as they ravenously ate their burgers.

“Better slow down girls. You won’t get to _relish_ them if you hurry.”He said, snickering as Angel snorted while Juliette giggled softly.

“It’s hard to slow down with food this good. But, I guess we _butter_ calm down. Don’t want to get the hiccups.”Juliette said, making Sans chuckle while the other customers looked at them with interest.

Angel chuckled as she shook her head, knowing that Juliette would try and engage in a pun war if she wasn’t stopped. So, instead of letting Sans destroy her friend, she nudged Juliette and pointedly looked at the other woman’s burger, making Juliette grin sheepishly before she went back to her meal. Grillby soon returned with Sans’ burger and fries, in which the girls watched as the skeleton drenched his food in ketchup. Angel cringed slightly, though Juliette simply snickered and shook her head. As they ate, Angel and Juliette turned their attention and conversation back to the trouble at hand: not having a second monster head of security.

“I’m telling you, Jules, we should just hire Aaron for it.”Angel said making Juliette cringe.

“Angel, he was _way_ too focused on himself and his muscles. I’m sure he’s a great guy, but we need someone who will be focused on the job at hand.”Juliette said, frowning as her friend sighed while Sans listened with faint interest.

“There’s no one else who seems to have the power to handle rowdy crowds though. We can’t dump the entire position on Rich. He’ll be blamed if any of the monster patrons are hurt. While there are many good monsters out there-“

“Yeah, I know there are some who will blame humans just as easily as humans blame monsters.”Juliette said, picking at their fries.

“What are ya looking for?”Sans asked, making the girls blink and look at him.

“We’re trying to find a monster that’s suitable for the position as the second head of security for the club. They need to be either physically or magically strong and have a keen eye for detail. We’ve already found the human head of security and he’s more than willing to work alongside monsters.”Angel said, Juliette nodding as she ate one of their fries.

“We want to cover our and our employee’s backs. Since we’re catering to both humans and monsters we want to ensure they’re all safe. By having an even mix of human and monster security, the customers can’t complain that we were being biased. Humans can’t say that the monsters were ganging up on them and monsters can’t say the same about the humans.”Juliette added, Sans nodding in agreement.

“Sounds like you’re in a bit of a pickle.”He said, grinning as both girls laughed softly.

“Yeah…”Angel muttered, though she blinked when she realized something.

Both she and Juliette have seen Sans use magic. It wasn’t often when he did, but they had quickly realized that the skeleton’s magic is nearly identical to Juliette’s. That means that Sans is rather powerful and there was no denying that he isn’t powerful in the physical sense. Both of them had felt him holding back whenever they hug him or he nudges them whenever they try to hide their laughter when he cracks a joke. Having Sans as their monster head of security would mean that their problems would be solved and Sans wouldn’t have to flit from job to job. Sans and Papyrus would also get the benefits at the restaurant and club by getting discounted food and drinks along with free entry to the club. Angel grinned when her idea fully took shape before she looked at Sans and Juliette; both of whom were eyeing her with some caution.

“What are you thinking?”Juliette asked, frowning as Angel grinned widely at Sans.

“Hey, bone-boy, what do ya think about being head of security for a club?”She asked, making Juliette blink in shock before she smiled.

“What?”Sans asked, surprise and confusion in his voice as he looked at the pair.

“You’d be perfect for the job, Sans! I know you don’t like flaunting your magic, but you’d be great at being head of security in our club. Many monsters respect you so I have a feeling that they might act a little better around you. Also, we both know you’re pretty strong and capable when you need to be.”Juliette said, excitement in her voice as Sans looked at them with surprise.

“I don’t know…”He said, blinking when Juliette turned pleading eyes onto him.

“Please, Sans?! Mostly you would be sitting in the security office and watching the cameras. The other bouncers would be walking the floor or stationed around the club to ensure everything’s alright. If something comes up that the other bouncers can’t handle then you and Rich will step in depending if the bouncers are dealing with either a monster or a human. We already plan on the club being open Wednesday through Sunday so you’d have Monday and Tuesday off. You’d also be getting good pay, health benefits and such.”Juliette gushed, her eyes bright as San lightly rubbed the back of his skull.

“I have to admit…it does sound like a decent job. Pap would be happy that I’ll be getting more pay than what I’m earnin’ now and it’s not like I’ll be gone when he’s home, though he might not be too happy about me workin’ so late.”He said, blinking when Grillby walked over.

“…You should take it.”He said, his voice low as Angel stared at him in shock while Sans blinked and stared at his friend.

“Geeze, you too Grillbz?”He asked, smiling faintly as the flame monster nodded.

“…It’d be a good job for you.”Grillby said, making Sans chuckle softly as he shook his head.

“Alright, alright. _Tibia_ honest, it sounds like a good job.”He said, making the girls cheer and clap.

“Thanks, Sans!”Juliette gushed, reaching over and hugging the skeleton.

Grillby and Angel grinned when they saw the dusting of blue on Sans’ cheekbones as he hugged Juliette back. Juliette released Sans and the two women eagerly began telling Sans and Grillby about the progress the construction company is making along with their potential employees. Grillby offered plenty of advice, and corrected them on a few things which they eagerly listened to and noted. Sans listened as the pair explained how things were going to be run in the restaurant and club, though he blinked when they complained about still not having a D.J. for the club. One monster came to mind and his grin grew slightly.

“I know someone who’d be a good D.J.”He said, taking a large bite of his burger as the girls looked at him.

“Who?”Angel asked, hopefulness in her voice as Sans chuckled.

“His name is Napstablook. He’ll really get the dancers _spirit_ moving.”Sans said, making the other customers who were listening laugh as the girls looked at each other with confusion.

“So, Napstablook is a monster?”Juliette asked, confusion in her voice as Grillby nodded.

“Napsta is Mettaton’s best friend.”A crocodile monster said, making the girls look at him with interest.

“Really?”Angel asked, remembering hearing and seeing some of the shows by the robot popstar.

“Mhm. They go way back.”The monster said, nodding his head as the girls blinked and smiled.

“Napstablook will be at Frisk’s party tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll be happy to do the job.”Sans said, the girls smiling brightly at him.

“Thanks again, Sans. We’ll be sure to ask him about the job and tell him about it.”Juliette said, happiness in her voice as Sans’ grin became more warm as he nodded.

“No problem.”

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

The next morning Juliette and Angel woke up a little before noon and hurried through their showers and breakfast. Next came the hectic time of trying to wrap Frisk’s presents before packing everything into the car. Juliette also packed all of the fixings for a punch made of Sprite, Hawaiian Punch and vanilla ice crème along with a huge punch bowl. They had already asked Toriel if she needed them to bring anything and the woman had asked them to bring something for everyone to drink if they felt like it. Shade was taken out on a long walk before the girls finally locked up and left. It took them twenty minutes to make it to Toriel’s house and they were slightly concerned to see all of the cars already in the driveway and parked alongside the curb. They parked alongside the curb as well and loaded their arms full of everything they brought. As they walked towards the house, the front door swung open and Frisk hurried outside towards them. Angel and Juliette laughed as the excitable boy rushed towards them with Toriel calmly walking behind.

“It’s good to see you.”Toriel said, smiling as Frisk gladly took some of the items from the pair.

“Same! How old are you turning again, Frisk?”Angel asked, a teasing note in her voice as Frisk stuck his tongue out at the redhead.

[ _Eleven! You know this._ ]He signed, the girls laughing as they followed him into the house.

Streamers and balloons were scattered throughout the large living room, hallway and dining room. There is a table set against the back wall covered with presents. Angel and Juliette dropped their gifts off as they greeted everyone. Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys are there along with Grillby. They also met a few other friends of Frisk’s, including Greater Dog, Monster Kid and Napstablook. Angel and Juliette were shocked to see that Napstablook is a ghost with a set of headphones on his(?) head. There are also a few other children around Frisk’s age running around with cans of silly string. Juliette headed to the kitchen with Toriel and set about making the punch, in which Toriel and Papyrus watched her with interest; asking plenty of questions as she worked. Angel meanwhile, walked over to Napstablook and smiled at the shy, almost depressed looking ghost.

“Hi, Napstablook. I’m Angel.”She said, making the ghost blink and look at her.

“…Oh. Hello.”He said, his voice reminding Angel instantly of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.

“Sans told me that you have a real knack for choosing music. Juliette and I are opening a club and restaurant for monsters and humans and we were wondering if you’d like to be the D.J. for the club?”Angel asked, deciding to cut to the chase instead of beating around the bush.

Napstablook was surprised, if the widening of his…eyes were any indication. Angel watched in some concern as the ghost seemed to sink down onto a chair, almost as if he’s sitting down instead of floating. The headphone slipped down from the top of Napstablook’s head and rested just below his mouth as if he slipped them down to rest around his shoulders if he had them.

“…Are you sure you want me to be the D.J.? I’m sure there are more capable people…”He said, his voice soft as Sans huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Napsta, you’re a great guy when it comes to music. Everyone here can vouch for ya.”Sans said, making his friend shift.

“I dunno…”

“How about this: you think about it and get back to me and Juliette? We still have plenty of time before the place opens.”Angel offered, her voice gentle as the ghost looked at her before nodding slowly.

Sans shook his head fondly, knowing that Napstablook would likely try to pass up this opportunity. However…even though he didn’t really like bring _him_ into situations, Sans knew that there was one guy who could make Napstablook take the job. Unfortunately said guy was running late much to everyone’s displeasure. He blinked when Frisk ran over, his eyes bright before he snagged Sans’ hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. Sans chuckled, his grin wide as he allowed the kid to drag him. In the kitchen, he raised an eyebrow when he saw the wide assortment of food and drink, though he was rather interested in the punch Juliette was stirring.

“Hey, Sans! Wanna try a glass?”Juliette asked, smiling brightly at the skeleton.

“Sure.”He said, watching as she scooped some punch into a glass for him.

Frisk eagerly held up his own glass, grinning brightly before he tried a sip. Even Sans was rather impressed by the delicious concoction that Juliette had made. Frisk hurried into the living room and Juliette and Toriel were soon set upon a small horde of children both monsters and humans. The two women laughed and easily dished out cups of punch for the kids before some of the adults wandered in. Papyrus was more than eager to try the punch, which got Alphys and Undyne in on sampling it. While the children ran around inside and outside, the adults laughed and talked. Papyrus was very happy and proud that Sans had taken the job as the second head of security at the club; something that all of Sans’ friends agreed with. Everyone asked Angel and Juliette plenty of questions about their business and the girls were able to answer them pretty well. Muffet, a rather disarmingly beautiful spider monster, quickly approached Angel and Juliette, her black eyes glittering as they turned towards her with some apprehension.

“My son has told me that you called him back for a second interview.”She said, her voice nearly lulling the pair into a false sense of security.

“You’re Wolf’s mother, right? I’m Angel Kross and this is Juliette Thorn.”Angel said, holding her hand out to the woman.

“The pleasure is mine, dearies. My son was very excited to get the call.”Muffet said, shaking hands with the two women.

“He seemed like the kind of guy we want in the kitchen. His training will prove useful and I’m hoping to get him and the three other cooks in the kitchen to show them what I expect.”Juliette said, Muffet looking at her with interest.

“You’re a cook, dear?”She asked, surprise in her voice as Juliette nodded with a small smile.

“Yes. I went to college for culinary arts and was the top of my class. I plan on working alongside our cooks most days. Wolf seemed like one of our better candidates.”She said, Muffet giving her a pleased little smile.

“I’m glad to hear that. I do hope my son proves himself to be a valuable asset to your business.”She said, walking away after Juliette and Angel nodded.

Both of them couldn’t help but feel drawn towards Muffet. Her voice was disarming and made you want to get closer even though your mind was screaming at you that you were facing a very dangerous woman. Wolf was the same way as his mother; enchantingly disarming. However, unlike his mother his hair holds a deep blue tint instead of a dark pink around his fringe. He also didn’t wear bows or lace like his mother though his clothing had been expertly tailored and they suspected that his shirt had been made of a type of silk. They were brought out of their musings when the door opened and a tall, male robot strutted into the room.

“ _Hello_ darlings!”He called, his entrance making everyone turn and look at him in surprise.

“M-Mettaton!”Alphys exclaimed, happiness in her voice as the robot looked down at the small clementine monster.

“Alphys!”Mettaton gushed, hurrying over and sweeping her into his arms.

Frisk hurried into the room and joyfully hugged Mettaton as soon as he released Alphys. His hands were a blur as he talked to the tall and flamboyant monster. Angel and Juliette smiled when as they watched Mettaton interact with the others. Sans was keeping his distance, though he greeted the robot none-the-less and answered a few questions. Mettaton nearly squealed in happiness when he saw Napstablook and hugged the ghost, making said shy ghost blush a dark grey color much to everyone’s amusement. When Mettaton heard about the job offer, he practically crushed Angel and Juliette in a hug before asking them plenty of questions about their business, the benefits Napstablook would be getting along with how much he’ll be earning. They could easily tell that the robot popstar cared about his friend and it warmed their hearts to see such a close friendship.

However, the girls were floored when Mettaton graciously offered to perform on opening night for the club. They stammered and explained that he didn’t need to since they both know how busy he is, but he waved away their concerns and demanded that they let him perform. They instantly knew that, with good advertising, the club will be packed and they’ll have to prepare long and hard for such a night. Sans snickered when he saw the panicked looks on their faces, but Papyrus and Undyne were more than happy to reassure the two girls that they could easily handle such a night. Juliette pointed out to Sans that he would have his hands full as well in ensuring that the bouncers and customers didn’t get too rowdy, which quickly shut the skeleton up though his smiled never waned.

Toriel was the one who finally called everyone into the kitchen for lunch which consisted of pizza, chips, dip and fruit. There was plenty of laughter and conversation as everyone mingled and talked. Napstablook set music going using the IPod dock on the entertainment stand and it wasn’t long before many people were dancing after they cleared a space. Angel, Undyne, Alphys and Juliette were laughing as they danced together, even though Alphys was blushing something fierce as she was sandwiched between her girlfriend and Angel. Mettaton surprised Juliette by pulling her into a dance, though she had to admit that the robot was one hell of a dancer.

“Thank you for offering Blooky a job, darling.”He said, making Juliette blink before she smiled.

“You don’t need to thank me, Mettaton. We’re more than happy to hire anyone, no matter their race, so long as they’re qualified for the job. From the music selection Napsta has been selecting here he seems to know his stuff.”Juliette said, smiling as she glanced over at the ghost as he swayed in time to the music.

“Still, not many are willing to hire a ghost as a D.J. You and Angel are pretty special.”Mettaton said, laughing as he caught the blush on Juliette’s face as he twirled her.

Dancing soon ended and Frisk tore open his gifts after he blew the candles out of the large cake Muffet had made for him. Everyone sat around the living room gorging on cake and ice crème while the boy thanked everyone after each gift was unwrapped. Papyrus and Asgore collected the wrapping paper and gift bags, making Frisk smile brightly at them in thanks. Sadly, it wasn’t long after the gifts were opened when people slowly began heading home. Frisk stood by the door and thanked and said goodbye to everyone as they left until it was only Mettaton, Napstablook, Undyne, Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, Juliette and Angel remaining. Frisk asked to go play outside since it was rather warm surprisingly. Toriel agreed, though made the boy dress in his boots, coat, gloves and hat. Juliette and Papyrus headed outside as well, smiling as Frisk managed to convince them to help him build a snowman family.

The others watched from the windows fondly, smiling and talking softly about different things. Mettaton gushed about his tour in Europe, which was going rather well. Alphys was more than proud for her…child? and his success though she reminded him to take it easy less he burn out. They made plans for Mettaton to stop by Alphys’ private lab in order to get a good polishing and a tune-up in the morning before he flew back to France for his next show. Toriel kept a watchful eye on the trio outside, though she smiled when she saw that they were making some pretty good snowmen thanks to Papyrus’ skills. Sans laughed when he saw his brother carrying huge armfuls of snow while Juliette and Frisk worked together to carry snow and roll the bases of each person. It took the trio a good half hour before they had a family of three including a little snow dog. Papyrus dashed inside to get the scarves while Frisk looked around for twigs.

[ _All the good ones are in the tree._ ]He signed, making Juliette frown as she looked up at the tree nearby.

“I don’t know, Frisk. Some of those branches are coated in ice.”She said, worry in her voice as Frisk hurried towards the tree.

[ _I’ll be careful! I promise._ ]He signed, making the woman walk over so she was nearby.

Toriel blinked when she looked out the window and saw Frisk slowly climbing up the tree. Worry filled her when she saw some of the branches sway underneath the boy’s weight and she hurriedly dried her hands on a towel. Sans cracked an eye socket open and blinked when Toriel hurried out of the kitchen. Standing up from the table, he peered out the window and instantly saw what made the goat monster worried. He headed out the kitchen and followed Toriel to the back door. The others were following as well, wondering what was making Toriel so worried as she hurriedly slipped on a pair of shoes. As she opened the back door, a sharp cracking sound filled the air and horror filled the house.

“Frisk!”Toriel screamed, fear in her voice as the boy plummeted towards the ground.

“Kid!”Sans cried, his eye flaring bright cyan as he called upon his magic.

However, before Sans could send his magic to catch Frisk, the boy suddenly halted in midair. A bright silver glow surrounded his body, keeping him suspended in the air a mere few inches above the hard, icy ground. Everyone stared in disbelief before looking at the only other person that was outside near Frisk. Angel swallowed tightly when she saw Juliette’s right eye glowing a bright silver color, tendrils of her magic curling through the air like smoke from her eye. The silver glow that surrounded Frisk enveloped her right hand which was extended towards the boy, her chest heaving as she looked at him. Slowly, she brought her hand down, guiding Frisk over to a safe patch of ground before the silver glow released Frisk and her eye faded back to normal, her left eye coming back into view. Juliette blinked a few times before it fully registered in her mind what she had just done.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at Frisk, taking in the shock in his eyes. Stepping back, her heart began thundering in her chest when she turned and saw the others crowding near the door; their eyes trained on her in shock and wonder. Flinching slightly, she took a step back, fear spreading through her. Looking around wildly, she saw a corner of the backyard that is nicely shadowed which would offer her the perfect chance to escape. Without thought, she darted towards the shadows, ignoring the calls of her name. However, before she could reach the shadows, she was suddenly lifted off the ground. Gasping in shock, she looked down at herself and saw that a cyan glow had encased her body; preventing her from moving. Whipping her head around, she saw Sans standing near Frisk and Toriel, his eye glowing as he looked at her.

“Not again, kid.”He said, his voice soft as he saw the fear and panic in her eyes.

“L-L-Let me go.”She said, her voice trembling as Sans pulled her towards him.

“Jules…”Angel whispered, making her friend look at her with wide eyes.

Sans slowly let Juliette down and pulled his magic back, though his eyes never returned to normal. It was then that Juliette knew that he wouldn’t let her run. Everyone was looking at her with some level of shock and curiosity, though Frisk and Alphys were looking at her in surprise and understanding. Angel walked over to her panicked friend and gently wrapped an arm around Juliette’s waist, pulling her shaking her friend close. Juliette glanced at her, her eyes wide as Angel smiled gently.

“It’s time, Jules. They deserve to know, especially after this.”She said, her voice soft as Juliette trembled again.

“Let’s all come inside.”Asgore said, his deep voice gentle and soothing as the others looked at him.

Frisk hurried over to Juliette and took her free hand, making the woman flinch slightly. Instead of letting go, the boy looked at her with a smile and gently squeezed her hand before he and Angel led her towards the house. Juliette drew in a shuddering breath, unable to help the fear and anxiety that was welling up inside of her. She had never intended on showing any of their friends her powers. However, when she had seen Frisk begin to fall, she had acted on pure instinct to save him; knowing that none of the others would’ve been able to help him before he hit the ice. Now, all she could hope for was their understanding or perhaps a quick getaway if things got out of hand.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Much to Juliette’s dismay, the others didn’t really give her a possible way of escaping the living room. Angel sat on one side of her while Frisk sat down on the other side of her on the couch. On Angel’s other side, Papyrus sat down while Alphys sat down on the other side of Frisk. Mettaton sat down in a chair near the front door, his fuchsia eye trained on Juliette as if he knew that she might try to make a break for the door. Toriel, Asgore, Napstablook and Sans sat directly across from Juliette on the other chairs that had been spread out for the party while Undyne leaned against one of the walls nearby. Juliette shifted uneasily when she felt everyone staring at her; refusing to lift her head and meet their gazes. Angel gently squeezed her friend’s leg before looking up and meeting the stares of their friends.

“I know this must be a huge shock for all of you.”She said, making Sans snort softly while Undyne rolled her eyes.

“That’s an understatement.”She said, blinking when Juliette flinched and seemed to shrink in on herself.

“How long have you had magic, kid?”Sans asked, keeping his voice low and soothing as if he were speaking to a skittish animal.

“…All my life…”Juliette whispered, making the others looking at each other.

“There hasn’t been a human magic user-“

“Since monsters were sealed underground.”Juliette finished, shifting again as she glanced up at them only to look back down.

“What can you do?”Mettaton asked, leaning forward slightly as he uncrossed his legs.

“Jules can move things around, no matter their weight. She can also use her magic to enhance her own strength, speed and other senses. She can also travel through shadows. She calls it shadow jumping.”Angel answered, knowing that her friend would be hard pressed to talk about her abilities to the others.

“So pretty much a carbon copy of what I can do.”Sans said, Angel nodding lightly.

“I-It was y-you that saved F-Frisk and I that night, w-wasn’t it?”Alphys asked, leaning forward so she could look around Frisk to see Juliette.

“Yeah…I was skating like normal when I heard those guys…I couldn’t let them get away with that and when I saw the weapons…I-I just snapped…”Juliette said, wrapping her arms around her middle.

“You’ve never attacked anyone, have you?”Undyne asked, blinking when she was suddenly faced with an angered Juliette.

“I would never _dream_ of hurting anyone! Anytime I used my powers it was in self-defense or whenever someone was being attacked.”Juliette hissed, her eye flickering silver before Toriel stood and walked over so she was in-between the two women.

“Calm down, Juliette. Undyne wasn’t accusing you of using your powers to hurt someone.”Toriel said, her voice soft as she looked at the small woman.

Juliette shuddered and instantly sat down, wrapping her arms around herself again as she bowed her head. Angel hushed her softly, rubbing her friend’s back as she shot the group a look. She could tell that Juliette was close to having a panic attack, and there wasn’t anything she could do to fully calm her friend down. However, she blinked when Frisk gently squeezed Juliette’s knee, making the woman turn her head slightly so she could glance at the boy.

[ _Thank you for saving us that night. You were awesome._ ]He signed, making Juliette huff and duck her head as her cheeks heated up in a blush.

“F-Frisk is right. You save u-us that night. Thank you.”Alphys said, smiling as Toriel, Papyrus and Asgore smiled at the woman as well.

“Does anyone else know about your magic?”Asgore asked, watching as Juliette shifted.

“Angel, my parents and my uncle Thomas.”She muttered, the others blinking when Angel bristled at the mention of the dark haired woman’s parents.

“Did your parents help you gain control over your magic?”Undyne asked, frowning when Angel snorted while Juliette shook her head.

“No…my uncle Sebastian and Angel helped me do that. My parents and uncle Thomas…didn’t approve of my magic…”She muttered, making Angel shake her head.

All of them could tell that Juliette wasn’t telling them something, but they didn’t want to push the young woman any further. They could tell that she hadn’t planned on showing them that she has magic and they couldn’t blame her. For a human to have magic…it would create an uproar among the public. Juliette was surprised when Papyrus spoke up and promised that he and the others wouldn’t tell anyone about her having magic. When she looked at the group with wide eyes, they all nodded and they smiled at her with reassurance. She shakily thanked them before excusing herself. Apologizing to Frisk for stealing the spotlight on his birthday, she quickly drew in shadows around herself and disappeared, making the others blink in shock while Angel sighed and slumped back into her seat.

“So that was shadow traveling?”Undyne asked, surprise in her voice as the redhead nodded.

“Yeah. She’s really shaken up right now. Thanks you, guys. It means a lot that you still accept her.”Angel said, smiling faintly at the others as they shrugged or smiled.

“Everyone is different though it is strange for a human to have magic. It’s just something we’ll have to get used to.”Mettaton said, the others nodding in agreement.

“I’ll go check on her.”Sans said standing up from his chair as Angel looked at him.

“I don’t think she’s ready to tell anyone the full truth of her past. It…It wasn’t pleasant to say the least. Just…Just be careful with what you say.”Angel said, Sans nodding before his magic flared and he disappeared.

Sans stepped out of the void and into the shadows near the dumpster by Juliette’s and Angel’s apartment building. Making his way across the parking lot, he thought about what he wanted to say. The terror in Juliette’s eyes when she realized that she had exposed herself to them had struck a chord deep inside of him. She had honestly feared that they would turn on her because of her powers; that they would seek to hurt her for having something that they dealt with every day. He had some doubts that Juliette honestly believed that they won’t turn her in or want to perform experiments on her, which is why he wants to speak with her. Another reason is because it’s not everyday that he meets someone who has powers that are so similar to his own.

Heading up the stairs, he stopped in front of the door and knocked, listening as Shade began barking and pawing at the door. He only had to wait a minute before the door opened a crack and Juliette poked her head out. She paled when she saw Sans standing there, but she just sighed and backed up, opening the door further for the skeleton. Sans offered her a faint grin, his hands in his pockets as he walked inside and closed the door behind him. Juliette walked over to the couch and sat down, shifting uneasily as Sans walked over and sat down beside her. The air grew thick between them and all Juliette wanted to do was run and hide in her room.

“Ya know we won’t tell anyone, right?”Sans asked, making Juliette jump slightly and look at him.

“Y…Yeah…I know.”She muttered, looking down at her hands and fussing with them.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just…I never intended on anyone else learning about me having magic. I had it drilled in me that I was a freak, unnatural and unwanted. My uncle Sebastian helped me with some of those issues…but I still get nervous and scared whenever others learn about my magic. When Angel learned I nearly had a panic attack…having all of you know this…”She said, trailing off as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

“You’re not a freak, Jules. Sure, it’s a bit odd that a human has magic but it’s just another quirk that makes you unique.”Sans said, shrugging as Juliette looked at him with some surprise.

“…Thanks…”She muttered, looking back down at her hands.

“Hey, this just means you fit in with us even more. Honestly, I think it’s pretty interestin’ that a human has magic; especially since we know you’re on our side.”He said, grinning as Juliette snorted softly.

“I felt…some relief when monsters came from the underground. Our scientists are still trying to understand magic but at least they know it exists. Of course there’re still idiots claiming that it’s not magic but some…genetic ability.”Juliette said, Sans snorting softly as he shook his head.

“Magic is magic. It comes in different forms. Tori is highly skilled in fire magic, Undyne is more towards offense and defense; same with Pap. Mettaton is geared towards offense by that’s been removed by Alphys. Asgore is more towards offense but he’s learning defensive magic now.”Sans explained, Juliette listening with great interest.

“What about you?”She asked, watching as Sans blinked before letting out a small, rueful chuckle.

“Offense. But I’m not too shabby with shields and protections.”He said, Juliette nodding lightly.

“Mine is more offense but…my uncle made sure I could defend myself with everything I have.”She said, making Sans glance at her.

“How so?”

Juliette opened her mouth before sighing. Sans watched as her left eye, much like his right, changed to a black void while her right eye glowed bright silver. He watched with fascination as she stood and moved to the center of the living room; though he also noticed that Shade and Trixie quickly ran from the room. Juliette made a slashing motion with her hand, opening a seemingly black ‘tear’ opened in the air. His eyes widened in shock when he realized she had just opened a rift in the void. Sans was unable to pull his eyes away as two pairs of glowing, silver eyes appeared in the darkness of the void. To his shock, two large animals walked from the opening; seemingly a cross between a tiger and a dire wolf. The two creatures snarled at Sans, but Juliette flicked her wrists, creating two ‘leashes’ out of her magic that wrapped themselves around the creatures’ necks; preventing them from moving far from her.

“These are my shadow guardians. I found them the first time I ‘shadow jumped’. My uncle was the one who figured out that I was most likely running through the void which for me is connected through the shadows. They terrified me at first but they simply walked over and nuzzled me. I haven’t really used them since I’ve never entered a real fight.”Juliette explained, watching as Sans nodded slightly as he continued looking at the beasts.

Juliette nudged them back towards the void, in which they rubbed their bodies against her before walking back into the void. She flicked her hand again and the ‘tear’ disappeared. Her eyes returned to normal and she walked back over to the sectional and sat down. Sans looked at her closely, knowing that she wouldn’t really struggle in a fight so long as she had her guardians. He could also understand why she had never used them before. No human would stand a chance against creatures like that; hell he doubted many monsters would be able to handle those things considering the claws and fangs on those creatures.

“I have my…blasters. I think you could say that they’re a cross between wolf skulls and dragon skulls in appearance. They don’t have bodies but they’re sentient. I guess you could say they’re my strongest attack.”He said, shrugging lightly as Juliette nodded.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that. Juliette was actually kind of glad that Sans had come after her, even though she had run from them. Somehow hearing from Sans that the he and the others don’t think differently of her made her believe him. Closing her eyes, she shifted and leaned against Sans, making the skeleton blink before he looked down at her. However, he didn’t shrug her off; didn’t push her away or say anything. Instead, he just sat there, silently providing her comfort after such a huge revelation.

“Thanks, Sans.”Juliette muttered, making the taller skeleton look down at her.

“No problem, Jules. I wouldn’t have felt right if I let you leave like that. Everyone could tell that you were shakin’ up.”He said, Juliette nodding slightly.

“Still…”She muttered, tilting her head to look up at him.

The air grew thick and heavy between them and Sans felt the undeniable urge to just…lean down and kiss Juliette. However, the small voice in the back of his mind stopped him. How would he even kiss her? Him kissing someone was just pressing his teeth against their lips. How would she even react? He’s a skeleton monster; she could easily be with someone who has actual skin and is humanoid looking. Mentally shaking himself, he looked away from Juliette, not noticing the flash of disappointment and hurt in her eyes. They talked a little bit more about the restaurant and club, in which Sans asked a few questions about who he’ll be working alongside, the layout of the building and where the cameras will be set up. It was during this conversation when Juliette received a worried text from Angel asking if everything was okay. She messaged the redhead back; stating that everything’s fine and she’s doing alright thanks to Sans. Sans agreed to take her keys to Angel so the other woman can drive back and, even though he reminded her that Frisk understood, he promised to apologize on her behalf for leaving like that when it’s the kid’s birthday.

Sans stood and accepted Juliette’s keys from her. He was the one who pulled her into a hug; catching Juliette by surprise before she closed her eyes and hugged him back, resting her head against his chest. She drew comfort from the faint thrumming of his magic coming from his body. Her own magic seemed to hum underneath her skin at the sound, seemingly wanting to match the tone and rhythm of Sans’ magic while she was holding onto the man. When they finally pulled back, both of them struggled to step back enough so that Sans could leave. Juliette smiled faintly at him and promised to text later, to which Sans nodded before he teleported out of the living room. Juliette sagged and sighed, flopping down onto the sectional as Shade and Trixie walked back out.

“What am I gonna do, Trix? I…I like him.”She moaned, turning her head as her cat jumped onto the couch and padded over.

“I swear he like me back but…what if I’m getting wrong signals from him? I could’ve sworn he was going to kiss me.”She said, frowning lightly as she remembered the intense look on Sans’ face before he had looked away.

“I don’t know…”She sighed, closing her eyes as her mind whirled around a certain skeleton.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

It was two days after Frisk’s birthday when Napstablook got back to Angel and Juliette and agreed to be the club’s D.J. The girls were overjoyed at the news; especially since the interviews were going so well. They had also received news from Luke that the building was finished. All that needs to be done is the furniture and decorations to be bought and put in place. Angel and Juliette reassured Luke that they and their friends could handle putting everything into place, to which the man nodded now that he understood that their friends are monsters and had the strength to do so. With the help of Vivian they ordered all of the furniture, appliances and decorations for the restaurant and club. The woman was a godsend for all of her help and Angel and Juliette made sure to give her a small bonus for all of her help. When Luke and his company cleared out of the building, Angel and Juliette sent a mass text to everyone; asking if they wanted to come to the new restaurant and club and get a tour of it. Their friends eagerly agreed and so, on a Friday evening after everyone was finished with work and school, Angel, Juliette and Vivian stood outside of the building as the cars started pulling into the parking lot. Undyne and Alphys were the first to arrive, followed by Sans and Papyrus and finally Toriel, Asgore and Frisk.

The outside of the building had been changed into a rather nice looking dark wood color with a black roof and dark red trim around the windows and doors. There are two main doors, with the first main front double doors leading into the restaurant while, around the right corner of the building is another set of double doors which leads to the club. The name: Heart and Soul Restaurant and Club, was written in cursive on the wall in white letters. A small sign was attached to the wall near the corner, directing people to the club doors incase they weren’t interested in dining at the restaurant. Angel unlocked the front doors and held them open for the group before stepping inside after them. The main ‘reception’ area of the restaurant has padded benches along the walls for people to sit down incase they needed to wait for an available table.

There’s a hostess stand nearby, along with a row of hangers attached to the wall for people to hang up their coats and umbrellas. There is also a small counter for the registers, in which Vivian explained she had ordered magical cash registers as they are easier and quicker to use than normal ones. Angel pointed out that they were planning on having three jars on the counter incase people wanted to give ‘tips’. They had ultimately decided that every two months they’ll donate all of the money that people give in tips to certain charities and all of the employees will decide on. One of the things that the group noticed is that the walls are painted a soft ivory with a warm red trim. A small hallway led to the restrooms though Vivian ushered the group towards the main opening of the restaurant which led into the large dining area. The wall color continued into the dining room and the others were interested to see that there seems to be two dining rooms instead of one large one.

“Inside that room we will seat our more…prestigious guests and those who make reservations.”Juliette said, leading them into the smaller dining room.

“I’ve ordered larger tables and booths for this ‘room’ while the main dining room will have some large booths for families.”Vivian explained, smiling as Undyne nodded in interest.

“Seems like a great idea. It’ll allow businesses to have more…privacy from other guests.”She said, Angel and Juliette grinning.

“Exactly!”

The rooms aren’t furnished, but there’s tape on the floor sectioning off and telling them where everything is supposed to go. At the back of the dining room are double, swinging doors which led down a wide hallway. Two more massive doors at the end of the hallway led to the kitchens, which are massive considering they want to provide meals for both the restaurant and club. Frisk was more than happy to run around the large room, opening doors and peering into the freezers and large refrigerators Back in the hallway, they were shown into the backroom where there’s another door leading outside. Juliette explained that this is where the morning and night employees can come and go through. There’s a row of lockers for the employees on either side of the door for people to put their things. There is also a refrigerator and a stove near the counters on the right side of the room, for employees who want to bring their own food for their breaks.

“We’ve ordered a few vending machines and we’re going to be putting in some tables, chairs and a few couches. The time clock will also be in here.”Angel explained, the others listening with interest.

Out in the hallway, they were led through an archway and they were shocked to see a staircase. Upstairs was a wide hallway with doors on both sides. Angel and Juliette pointed out their offices and also the office of their general manager. They also pointed out the security office, to which they allowed everyone to go inside the rather large room.

“We’ve already set up the security cameras. There’s going to be four computers in here so you and Rich can monitor all of the cameras. We’re trying to come up with a way you can speak with the other bouncers. Normally we’d use ear pieces but…”Juliette said, trailing off as Sans chuckled.

“No ears.”He said, lightly tapping at his skull.

“We’re thinking of getting headphones for you instead. Of course we’ll also be putting in a mini-fridge in here so you and Rich can have some drinks in here; so long as you’re careful around the equipment of course.”Angel said, Sans nodding his head with a smile.

“Sounds good.”He said, the others nodding as they smiled.

Heading back downstairs, they were also shown a large storage room for extra supplies and equipment. Out in the main dining room, they were led through a pair of wooden double doors which led into the club. The room is massive, separated by a couple stairs and a low, half-wall. The walls have been painted a dark blue color with splashes of red/blue, silver and purple. To the right is the main dance floor, which is huge and a good sized stage is at the back of the dancefloor for the entertainment and Angel pointed out the D.J. booth where Napstablook will work. The dancefloor is sectioned off from the ‘game’ area by the half-wall and Angel and Juliette explained that they’re planning on having a few pool tables, an air hockey table and a few dart boards. Like the club Sans had taken Juliette to, the main seating and ‘resting’ area for the customers will be up the few steps where they planned on putting a few high top tables and booths there for people to sit down and cool off from dancing or so they can enjoy their food and drinks.

The bar is to the left and there’s enough space for three bartenders to work comfortably. The shelves and counter behind the bar will hold the bottles of liquor and there’s a tap system for some of their drinks such as popular beers. Also behind the bar are double doors which lead to another hallway. This hallway has the doors to the kitchen, another break room and a storage room for extra supplies for the bar. There’s also another hallway for the rooms for bands, singers and comedians to rest before and after their performances so they won’t be disturbed by fans. These rooms have their own attached bathrooms for more privacy.

Back into the main club, they were shown towards the main door which is through a wide hallway. It is also there that the bathrooms are located for customers to use. There were plenty of questions asked and Angel, Juliette and Vivian happily answered those questions to the best of their abilities. Vivian proudly showed them through another door in the main club, though these doors are actually French doors and led outside to a rather beautiful outside seating area. The seating area is enclosed by a privacy fence made of medium colored wood. There are planter boxes lining the fence for when Spring arrives.

“It’s another ‘cooling’ off area for our guests and allows them to escape the noise from the main club without having to go very far.”Angel explained, smiling as Toriel smiled warmly.

“It’s a wonderful idea. I have no doubt that this will be a very popular area.”She said, Vivian nodding in agreement.

“That’s what I said. It’s why I had Luke make it bigger than what the girls first asked for. This way they can fit more people and more tables out here.”She said, Angel and Juliette smiling at the older woman.

They made their way back inside where Vivian handed the blueprints and designs for the restaurant and club. She had to leave for another job, though the girls promised that they do know where everything will go so she shouldn’t worry. After promising to return tomorrow, Vivian headed outside where she got into her car and headed off. The group of friends hung around outside, talking and laughing as they waited for the furniture to arrive. When the trucks arrived, Sans, Undyne, Angel and Asgore hurriedly unloaded one of the smaller tucks; in which Sans used his magic to move the larger things so the others wouldn’t strain themselves. The drivers explained that they’ll be back in the morning to collect the trucks, in which the girls thanked them and watched them leave in the smallest truck. It was then, after ensuring that no one else was around, that Juliette began using her magic to help move everything.

Angel and Toriel stood in the restaurant, directing everyone to where the boxes are to go while Frisk and Alphys used box cutters to open the boxes and find out the contents. Asgore and Undyne worked together to get the booths set against the walls and ‘hooked’ into the walls so they couldn’t be moved by customers. There were small hooks in the walls that are strong enough to handle people constantly moving in and out of the booth for supposedly, a year before they need to be checked and possibly replaced. Sans and Juliette, still using their magic, made it easier to move the tables and chairs since they could lift them above everyone’s heads. Papyrus and Angel worked together to arrange the chairs around the tables and ensure everything was in its correct place. Once the first main truck was unloaded, Toriel forced Sans and Juliette to take a break. Both of them were sweating and nearly collapsed on the benches in the main lobby of the restaurant. Alphys was the one who offered to go out and get something for all of them to eat and drink; to which they thanked the clementine monster as she hurried out of the building.

Juliette panted softly as she leaned her head back against the wall. Cracking her eyes open, she glanced at Sans and watched as he removed his hoodie before wiping the sweat from his skull. She found it rather fascinating that he could even sweat, though she didn’t voice this; instead chalking it up to something else about monsters that made them unique and more alike humans than they thought.

“Thanks, Sans. I know you didn’t plan on helping out with the heavy lifting.”She said, her voice soft as Sans looked at her with a crooked grin.

“Eh, ‘s fine. I was just kiddin’ about not helpin’. All I know is that I’m gonna be sleepin’ well tonight.”He laughed, making Juliette snicker and nod.

“I know the feeling…I gotta admit, it feels nice being able to use my magic like this. I’ll be sleeping well too.”She said, Sans chuckling.

Undyne, Asgore and Angel continued working for a little while longer before they took a break as well. Toriel and Frisk took over, in which they unpacked a few more boxes and set up the different paintings and wall decorations against the walls so they could be placed up on the walls later. When Alphys returned, everyone was relieved to see that she had brought Taco Bell for them. They sat outside to eat, laughing and chatting about different things. Frisk told everyone about the class clown in his classes, to which Toriel shook her head and added that the girl was a troublemaker but did well in her classes even though she mostly goof off. After tossing their trash in the dumpster behind the building, they went back to moving out all of the furniture and boxes from the truck.

All of them decided that it would be best to come back tomorrow morning after an hour more of work. Juliette and Sans were drained and both were practically falling asleep on their feet by the time Angel and Papyrus called it quits. Papyrus looked rather worried about his brother and Angel was supporting Juliette as the small woman swayed on her feet.

“I think we should make that ‘late afternoon’ for when we come back. I doubt these two will wake up before noon.”Angel said, frowning in concern as Asgore walked over and swept Juliette into his arms.

“Everything is out of the truck. We can come back tomorrow morning and make some more progress while these two nerds sleep.”Undyne said, looking at Sans and Juliette fondly.

“Let’s get them in the cars and then we can turn everything off and lock up.”Angel said, the others nodding in agreement.

Sans was dragging his feet and nearly fell over on the way out of the restaurant. Undyne shook her head and walked over, crouching down in front of the skeleton. Sans opened his mouth to protest, but saw the concern on his brother’s face. Sighing, he looped his arms around Undyne’s shoulders and leaned against her back, letting her pick him and carry him to Papyrus’ car. As soon as he was set down in the passenger’s seat, he fell asleep, making Undyne snort in amusement. Juliette had fallen asleep in Asgore’s arms and it took some work in getting her into the passenger’s seat. All of them said their goodbyes and agreed to meet up around eleven to get back to work. Since it’s Saturday, Frisk was more than eager to be allowed to come back and help out. He eagerly hugged Angel and the others before practically running to Asgore’s car. Angel laughed softly, shaking her head as the kid got into the backseat.

“I wish I had half of his energy.”She said, the others voicing their agreement.

“Will you be able to get Jules up to the apartment?”Undyne asked, making Angel nod.

“Yeah. She’s light enough for me to carry. Thanks for all the help.”Angel said, smiling warmly at the others.

“It’s no trouble at all.”Toriel said, Papyrus nodding his head eagerly.

“I know that I’m having great _fun_ helping you and Juliette! It’s always nice getting to help friends.”He exclaimed, making the others laugh and smile.

Waving, they split up and got into their cars before taking off. Angel had already double checked the trucks and made sure that everything was locked down before she pulled out of the parking lot. Diving back to the apartment, she smiled as Juliette slept the whole way. She knew that it’ll be a miracle if she woke up at all during the rest of the day. Pulling up to the apartment building, Angel turned off the engine and got out. Moving around the car, she opened the passenger’s door and unbuckled Juliette. It took some shifting, but she soon as her friend in her arms and closed the door to the car. Carrying Juliette upstairs, she managed to get the door unlocked and opened, smiling as Shade bounded towards her. He followed her as she carried Juliette to the younger woman’s room and set Juliette down on her bed. She managed to undress her friend slightly so she’ll be comfortable before walking out of the room.

“It’s been an interesting but good day, Shade.”Angel said, smiling as she hooked her dog up to his harness and got ready to take him outside.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Sure enough, Sans and Juliette didn’t really wake up until after noon of the next day. Even then both of them were tired and sluggish so Papyrus and Angel demanded that they relax and get their energy back up. Angel, Papyrus, Undyne, Asgore, Alphys, Toriel and Frisk were joined by Vivian at the restaurant and club so it was rather good that Juliette and Sans remained at home. Vivian was impressed by the work they had already done and had brought along a few of her assistants to help them get everything set up and closer to being done. They all took breaks for lunch and to rest though it was a good thing that Angel had the heat up and running since it was bitterly cold that day. By the time they called it quits, the restaurant was finished and all they have left to do is the club, something that Angel and her friends assured Vivian they could do alone. Angel thanked Vivian for all of her work and help with the restaurant and club. Vivian smiled and hugged Angel, wishing her and Juliette good luck with their business.

“Be sure to come and visit when we’re open. Your first meal will be on the house.”Angel said, smiling as the woman laughed and walked to the car.

“I’ll hold you to that!”Vivian called, her eyes dancing as she got into her car and pulled out.

The next day, Sans and Juliette were back to their normal strength, though they promised their friends that they would take plenty of breaks. The only real ‘heavy lifting’ the pair had to do was get the pool tables and the air hockey tables into the building. They ended up working together on that since they didn’t feel like they would be able to keep in complete control of the huge items themselves. The sound system was a pain in the ass to hook up. Thankfully, the contractors and Vivian had thought ahead and had the wires and speakers set up already so all they had to do was hook up the main counsel and test it out. Doing a sound test had all of them grinning; glad that things were running smoothly. Alphys and Angel headed up to the security office with the computers so the scientist and tech genius could show Angel how to set up the security cameras and get the feed onto the computers. Sans followed behind, knowing that he’d have to learn sometime and no time was better than the present.

The others had an interesting time getting everything set up, though they finished it by the time Alphys, Angel and Sans returned. Next came the furniture for the storage room, the offices, the entertainer’s rooms and the break room for the employees. Undyne asked plenty of questions about the meals and drinks that they’ll serve, to which Angel and Juliette happily explained what they have planned already. They also talked about the employees that they’ve hired, in which Sans was glad to hear that they already have hired all of the security staff; though he wasn’t too happy to hear that he’ll be expected to take classes on disarming people and in self-defense. Angel and Juliette explained that it was just another layer of protection for their employees and the customers since they didn’t want anyone to claim that their security staff wasn’t ‘knowledgeable’ in how to defend themselves or the customers. He admitted that they had a point, and accepted the small slip of paper Angel passed him which had the location of where the classes will be held.

Angel proudly explained that they’ve hired all of their bartenders and the three experienced bartenders-those with more than four years of experience- were going to be getting classes with Grillby when the bar is fully stocked. Alphys asked them about why they weren’t going to open until February, to which they explained they wanted all of their staff properly trained and knowledgeable in what they were expecting from their staff. The others nodded, agreeing with the girls’ decision and knowing that it’ll pay off in the long run. The bartenders need to be trained and so do the cooks along with the new waiters and waitresses that haven’t had experience before. They’ll also be getting two new bartenders who have just recently gotten their license.

“What hours will the club be open until again?”Undyne asked, watching as Angel and Juliette looked at each other.

“We’ve decided to expand our hours. It’ll open at four in the afternoon still, but will be open until three in the morning. Mondays and Tuesdays will still have the club closed though.”Angel explained, the group nodding in agreement.

“We’ve also expanded on our numbers in bartenders. We have eight bartenders, three of which are ‘veterans’ and two of which are ‘newbies’. The others only have a year or so of experience.”Juliette added, Sans nodding in agreement.

“Sounds good. That way people can still get their days off.”He said, the others agreeing.

Moving around the place, they changed a few things in order to make it look better and Angel and Juliette wrote down a few things they needed to pick up; mostly for their offices and the employee breakroom and the relaxation rooms for the entertainers. Angel locked up as Juliette turned off the lights and ensured the alarms were on before they all made their way outside and to the parking lot. Instead of separating, they headed to a rather nice restaurant where they celebrated the good news that the restaurant and club are mostly completed and ready. Angel and Juliette happily talked about how they’ll be getting most of the vegetables and fruits from local farmers. They had already gotten in touch with meat suppliers from a company in the city, to which will cut down prices and help support local businesses. The others were rather impressed and agreed that they were doing a smart thing in helping the other businesses and farmers.

After their meal, they all finally split up; promising to call or text and hang out again sometime soon. Angel and Juliette hit Office Max where they purchased things for their office and for Elliot Best, the man they had hired to be their general manager. After shopping there, they headed to Walmart and Target to purchase the other things they needed, like locks for the lockers, microwaves for the breakroom and they even purchased a small television for the break room so their employees could be entertained while on break. By the time they were finished shopping, both of them were tired and worn out. Heading back to the apartment, they left everything in the car as they planned on heading to the restaurant and club tomorrow.

“Hey, Angel…”Juliette muttered, looking over at her friend as they sat down on the sectional.

“What’s up?”Angel asked, raising an eyebrow as Juliette shifted and sighed.

“What should I do about…about Sans?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”Angel asked, frowning as she shifted until she was facing her friend.

“I like him…I mean really, _really_ like him. I…I think he likes me too but I’m not sure…”Juliette muttered, her cheeks turning bright red as Angel let out a rush of air.

“ _Finally_!”She exclaimed, making Juliette jump and frown at her.

“Huh?”

“I was getting worried on when you’d finally admit to yourself that you like him!”Angel explained, grinning as Juliette looked at her in shock.

“Y-You knew?!”

“Duh! It’s obvious! Well…at least to me, Undyne, Toriel and Frisk it is.”Angel said, tilting her head thoughtfully as Juliette looked stricken

“What?! Y-you…!”

“Yes, yes. I knew and so did they. It’s pretty obvious, hon. You’re a lot more relaxed around Sans and you get this silly little grin on your face whenever he texts or calls you. Not to mention you always laugh at his puns and jokes no matter how stupid. Hell, I think even Papyrus knows.”Angel said, laughing as Juliette’s face paled before she blushed deeply again.

“Anyway, I think you should tell him. I’m pretty damn sure he’s interested in you from the looks he’s been giving you whenever you’re not looking at him. It would be best to be blunt with Sans, since he’s such a prankster there’s an off chance he might think you’re joking. Of course you could always just grab him and plant a big ol’ smooch on him.”Angel said, laughing as Juliette moaned and buried her face in her hands.

“Shut up! This, once again, makes me wonder why I come to you for relationship advice.”She muttered, making Angel snicker as she patted her friend on the knee.

“Hon, you come to me because I’ve had plenty more relationships than you. Yes, some of them have been pretty short, but I’d like to think that I can actually help you.”Angel said, Juliette glaring at her as she lifted her head from her hands.

“Hey! Just because I’ve had only one relationship-“

“Which ended horribly because of that fuckin’ bastard.”Angel growled, scowling as she remembered Leo Marks.

Leo had been a smooth talking, sly and popular guy in their high school. He had been the one who approached Juliette in her sophomore year and had begun talking to her. Juliette had been shocked that the older teen had approached her, but she had sadly lapped up the attention because she was so starved for it. Angel had been hesitant about Leo, but he had treated Juliette well during their first few months of getting to know each other. He had asked her out to their schools Winter dance and they had turned it into a double date with Angel and her then boyfriend joining them. Leo had treated Juliette to dinner and had been attentive and kind throughout the entire dance. After the dance, he had formally asked her to be his girlfriend. Juliette had been overjoyed and had eagerly accepted.

Things had been fine throughout the rest of the year and even throughout most of Juliette’s junior year. However, after they had been together for a year, Leo changed. He began ditching Juliette on dates or would even cancel dates minutes before they were supposed to meet up. He also began pressuring Juliette for sex; something that Juliette wasn’t comfortable with, especially because of the scars on her back. When she kept refusing him, Leo began spreading nasty rumors behind her back and called her frigid and a prude. Angel had been the one who had found him making out underneath the stairwell when she had been heading back to class after going to the bathroom. Juliette had been devastated and had broken up with Leo in the middle of lunch. He had simply laughed and said that he had never really been interested in her; rather he had asked her out because of a dare and he had won over a hundred dollars because he managed to string her along for a year. That was the only time Angel had ever been suspended for punching someone.

Since then, Juliette has always been hesitant to get into relationships. Between what her father and uncle had done to her and then what Leo did she had a hard time trusting guys. However, she knew that Sans is an honest, kind, goofy though extremely lazy guy. She doubted that Sans would ever purposely hurt Juliette and he already knows about her having magic so that won’t be an issue.

“Look, I’m being serious here, Jules. You should tell Sans about how you feel.”Angel said, her voice gentle as her friend shifted.

“I’m just…what if he doesn’t like me though? We’ve only known each other for a few months…”Juliette said, shifting uneasily as Angel sighed and shook her head.

“My parents knew each other for a year before getting married, Jules. They dated for about six months then got engaged.”She said, watching as Juliette opened her mouth before shutting it.

“Monsters and humans are allowed to marry, even though people scowl about it because their prudes. There’s even been some stories about a human and monster having a kid!”Angel explained, watching as Juliette sputtered as her cheeks turned a dark red.

“I-I-I-“

“I know, I know. You’re just talking about telling him how you’re feeling. Don’t stress out!”Angel laughed, patting Juliette’s back as the dark haired woman glared at her.

“But seriously; you should go for it. We plan on letting brothers and sisters along with couples work for us. There won’t be a problem if you and Sans are dating and I know you won’t let it affect your work. I personally think you two would be adorable together!”Angel said, smiling as she wrapped an arm around Juliette’s shoulders.

“I…I guess…What about you?”Juliette asked, making Angel blink and raise an eyebrow.

“What do ya mean?”She asked, frowning as Juliette snorted softly.

“I’ve seen you spending more and more time with Pap. You’ve also been texting him a lot.”Juliette said, a slow grin spreading across her face as Angel slowly began blushing.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”She said, making Juliette laugh as she got up and hurriedly took Shade outside for a walk.

Juliette shook her head, glad that she had gotten back at her friend for her jibes at her. However, she knew Angel was right. Her feelings will continue to build up the longer she refuses to admit the truth. It has taken her this long to admit that she does, indeed, like Sans and she knew that she would struggle to spend time with Sans if she didn’t tell him sometime soon. However, she didn’t want to do it in front a ton of other people. Even thinking about telling the skeleton about her feelings made her heart race and her palms sweat. Doing it in front of others would cause her to completely freeze and she would most likely end up fleeing and leaving many people confused. Shaking herself, she stood up and walked to her room, sighing as she flopped down onto her bed and stared up at her ceiling. However, not a few minutes later her phone buzzed with a new text message.

Sansy-boy: _Any plans for x-mas?_

Raising an eyebrow, Juliette frowned as she tried to think if she and Angel had any plans. Angel normally spent Christmas Eve with her parents and siblings but they always ended up hanging out together on Christmas Day. Even then they just hung around the apartment, watched holiday movies and maybe went outside to sled and have a snowball fight.

Juliette: _Nothing that I can think of. Angel spends time with her family on Christmas Eve but that’s it._

Sansy-boy: _Tori is thinkin’ of holding a get together. We’d spend x-mas eve and day there with Undyne, Alphys, Frisk, Tori and Asgore._

Juliette: _Would there be enough room for all of us?_

Sansy-boy: _‘course. Tori has two spare rooms and there’s also an air mattress_

Juliette: _Sounds like a good idea. Tell her I’ll be there. I’ll tell Angel so she can go after spending time with her family._

Sansy-boy: _Cool. Start thinkin’ of what you’d like for gifts._

Juliette groaned at the mention of gifts. She honestly has _no_ idea of what she wants for Christmas. She and Angel often only bought each other one or two gifts. They don’t really seek out presents and honestly, they often bought things for themselves whenever they saw something that peaked their interest. However, now she has to tell Angel about the Christmas gathering _and_ that the others want a list of things to get them. Sighing, she let her arm flop down, which caused her phone to bounce on the mattress.

“This is gonna be interesting.”

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	7. Christmas Revelations and a New Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own the character from Undertale. They belong to the talented Toby Fox and those who helped him create his wonderful game. I only own the plot and original characters.
> 
> Warnings: Post-Pacifist, Male!Frisk, Mute!Frisk, swearing, fighting, angst and fluff, past abuse, same gender relationships, monsterphobia, racism, blood, some gore, sexual themes(later in the story), many OC’s, main character is an OFC.
> 
> Pairings: Sans/Juliette(OFC), Papyrus/Angel(OFC), Undyne/Alphys
> 
> Author’s Note: Whelp, now her secret’s out! Yes, Juliette will be showing more and more of her abilities and her character will be developing even more. Also, Angel’s and Papyrus’ relationship will slowly evolve and you’ll see more of them hanging out together during this and the following chapters. Also, you’ll be seeing Juliette and Angel connecting more with Toriel and Asgore and some surprises between them! Anyway, the last chapter was a little hard to crank out but that’s because I’ve been trying to hash out where I fully want this to go and how many more chapters I want this to be. I do have some great ideas and roseandspades713 was kind enough to grant me permission to use one of her ideas so I want that to come into play. There most likely will be a sequel depicting life for everyone after I end this; no promises though. Okay! Enough ramblings and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Dedications: I would like to dedicate this story to rosesandspades713 for her wonderful story ‘tonight I’ll need you to stay’.

-Thoughts-

_ Text _

_[Signing]_

_Emphasis on words_

 

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Angel absolutely loved the idea of spending Christmas with their friends at Toriel’s house. While she was kind of sad that she’ll be missing out on the sleepover and excitement of decorating the Christmas tree, she was looking forward to seeing her family again as well. She and Juliette combed through the stores and even ended up heading to the mall looking for ideas on what they wanted for Christmas. Thankfully they found a few things they wanted and quickly wrote them down and where to find them. They also headed to Earth Lore and were hard pressed to leave the store without buying something. Both of them love the different statues, books and incense that the store sells along with some of their cloaks and dresses. However, they stopped themselves…only to make the mistake of heading to Barns and Nobel to write down which books, manga and music they want. Again, they were practically dragging each other away from the aisles and back outside to the car after writing everything down.

Back at the apartment, they typed up and mass printed their Christmas lists for their friends. Angel also received an e-mail from her parents with lists of what her brother and sister want for the holiday. Juliette bought a small gift for Angel’s siblings and parents like normal, to which Angel made a note to remember to pack. Both of them were actually getting caught up in the holiday spirit, something that didn’t happen too often. They went out and bought a small, rainbow colored Christmas tree, some small ornaments, a tiny star and other decorations for the apartment. Most of their things have burned out or gotten lost like most Christmas decorations seem to do during the months where you don’t need them. Back home, they strung snowflake lights around the archway and also strung lights along the tops of the cabinets. Angel happily strung some lights up in her room and Juliette did the same; even adding some in her bathroom which went around her vanity mirror. They strung some colored tinsel around the apartment and the small tree.

Angel set the tree on the middle of the coffee table, which drew the attention of Trixie. Trixie sniffed at the tree; watching avidly as the girls decorated the small tree. Angel and Juliette laughed and joked with each other as they listened to Christmas songs and poked fun at the silly decorations they had bought and the movies they’ve already seen on T.V. They also talked about the last few second interviews they have over the next few days. It’s rather nice that they have already gotten so many employees and Elliot was a godsend since he’s already organizing the various positions and the different shifts. However he also knows that they’ll give their stamp of approval or make alterations to the schedule as they see fit. Elliot had jumped right into his position as general manager and had agreed wholeheartedly with their choices of employees. He was more than happy to help them with different things and offered plenty of advice about how to properly plan things and what to watch out for.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, Juliette and Angel finally finished hiring all of their employees. They also finished the set up and decorating of their restaurant and club. On the seventeenth of December, they called up all of their employees and had a meeting at the new business. Standing in front of their business, they smiled warmly as the cars, trucks and vans pulled into the parking lot and found a place to park before humans and monsters started piling out of their vehicles. Angel and Juliette beckoned everyone to follow them inside, to which they did so eagerly while knocking snow from their shoes and boots and looking around in interest.

“Alright everyone! Thank you so much for coming today. Now, all of you know who we are. I’m Angel and this is Juliette. As you know, we are the owners of this business.”Angel said, the others nodding and voicing their acknowledgment.

“However, some of you might not know each other. We called you here today so you can meet everyone who will be working for this business. Look around; these are your coworkers and in time, we hope you’ll all come to respect each other and think of each other as friends.”Juliette said, smiling as the group looked at each other and smiled and waved.

“Now, as you can also see, we were very serious when we said that we want this to be a business that accepts _everyone_ ; no matter your race, color, species and so on. If any of you have a problem with any of your new coworkers then the door is open and you can walk out of here with no harm or foul. We don’t want anyone to feel threatened by another coworker and we won’t tolerate racism of any sort.”Angel said, her voice firm as Juliette nodded and looked at them sharply.

A few people shifted, but no one made a move to walk out of the building. This job would put them to the test; seeing if they really have a problem with monsters or humans. Angel and Juliette relaxed and beckoned Elliot over, making the older man smile warmly as he walked over and moved so he was standing between the two women.

“This is Elliot Best. You’ll be seeing him a lot here in both the restaurant and the club. He is the new general manager and will be in charge whenever one or even both of us aren’t here. He has experience in waiting tables, working the registers and even making drinks.”Angel said, stepping back so Elliot could speak.

“Like Miss Kross said, I do have experience so if you need help with anything feel free to ask if you need it. I have been a manager and assistant manager for over ten years so I do know what I’m doing. I won’t be afraid to fire anyone if the need arises though you are more than welcome to refute the action with Miss Thorn or Kross.”He said, the others nodding in understanding.

“Thank you Elliot and please, call us by our given names! No need for so much formality.”Angel said, smiling as the others grinned.

“Now, we’d like you to meet Sans and Rich.”Juliette said, beckoning the two men over so they were standing nearby.

“They’ll be monitoring the cameras in both the restaurant and in the club. Bouncers, Rich and Sans will brief you before every shift and you’re to ask them and each other for help when dealing with difficult customers. If you think that you cannot handle a customer or if the customers get too out of hand ask for assistance.”Angel said, Rich and Sans nodding in agreement.

“I’ve been working with a security company for quite some time so I’m not really new to this job. Don’t let my appearance keep you away, I don’t bite.”Rich said, grinning as the others laughed.

“Same. I may be all bones, but I am capable of helping others. I can teleport, so if you need someone in a flash then just call out to me and I’ll arrive. I can also bring one other person with me if need be. I will warn you though, teleporting can be a bit...disorientating.”Sans explained, the others looking at him with great interest.

“Alright! Time for the grand tour!”Angel said, clapping her hands happily as the group smiled.

Juliette and Angel took their employees on a tour of the building; pointing out all of the key locations and explaining certain things to them. There were plenty of questions asked, to which they gladly answered all questions and concerns. Everyone learned that they’ll have a fifteen minute break no matter how long of a shift they have. Those who work six hours get a thirty minute meal while those above six hours get two fifteens and a thirty. Sans demonstrated on how the timeclock worked and the group were given their I.D. numbers in order for them to punch in. Continuing their tour, the employees were rather impressed by the entertainer rooms and when they learned that Mettaton was playing on opening night a lot of them were pretty excited. Juliette explained that two bouncers would be stationed near the entertainer rooms so no fans would bother Mettaton and only a waiter or one of Mettaton’s staff would be allowed inside the room unless the popstar asked for someone to come to his room.

“We’re hoping to get another singer or band to perform as well. As soon as we learn anything, we’ll let you know.”Angel explained, the group nodding in agreement and happiness.

Moving back to the ‘reception’ area of the restaurant, Angel, Juliette and Elliot passed out nametags and a description of their jobs which was appreciated. Bunny, Chase and Lily, the three veteran bartenders were given some information on when they’ll start their training with Grillby, to which all three of them were very excited. Since Bunny and Lily are monsters and thus have magic, they’ll have an easier time making drinks that require a magical touch. Chase will be able to craft drinks that use magic infused liquor and other ingredients. The other bartenders planned on spending some time with Angel on how to learn some of the specialty drinks the girls had designed and tested at their apartment.

Juliette also handed out a schedule to the cooks detailing when they have to show up so they’ll learn how to make the different dishes that will be served. The waiters and waitresses were on the same schedule and will be working with Elliot and the veteran waitresses/waiters on how to handle the rush of a crowded restaurant and other tricks so their job will be easier. All of them were rather excited since it also meant that they’d be getting the various dishes that the cooks make during their training. Sans and Rich planned on being there at the same time in which they’ll be running drills with the other bouncers and enlisting the help of the waiters/waitresses on how to handle certain situations with ‘drunk’ customers. Once everyone was settled on benches, Angel and Juliette finally cracked down and decided to go over the rules; something that needs to be done even if it wasn’t a fun part of their jobs.

“Alright gang, now’s time for the rules and expectations we have for you all.”Angel said, making their employees perk up.

“One: we expect you to respect each other and our customers. I know that this will be rough, especially when the customers are giving you a hard time or are being rude. However, we ask that you let it ‘wash’ over you and don’t let it get to you. Two: all cooks and bartenders are to have their hair tied back. Cooks will also be wearing hairnets and gloves when plating food. We want to keep this place as sanitary as possible.”Elliot began, watching as everyone listened intently to him.

“Three: everyone is expected to wear their uniforms. There’s a description of what you’re to wear in this packet. We’re having shirts made for all of you in which thanks for giving us your sizes. The shirts should be finished within a few weeks before opening. You’ll be getting four shirts each and yes, they are customized to your body type.”Angel added, looking at Wolf and his sister Penny.

“Four: if you have a problem with one of your coworkers, let us know. Do not spread rumors or talk about this person with someone else behind their backs. We want to create a friendly, positive workplace. I know, I know, problems will arise and some of you will end up getting into disagreements, but we want you to be able to resolve any conflicts and continue to work with each other with ease. If you need to be separated, then speak to either myself, Jules or Elliot and we’ll see about moving you to another section or have you do something else for the remainder of your shift. Five: everyone, and I mean _everyone_ is expected to help clean up the restaurant and club during the day and after close. Everyone will do their part in helping to make this place a nice place to be.”Angel added, looking at all of the employees sharply.

“Six: if you need someone to cover your shift, there is a swap shift board in the break room. Put your shift up on the board so someone else can see if they want to pick it up. If someone offers to pick up your shift, tell one of us and we’ll approve it and put it into the computer. Seven: you have two ‘strikes’ before we call you into our offices to have a meeting with you. This is either because of no call-no show, problems with other coworkers or too many customer complaints. We’re trying to run a business and that means we have set limits and expectations for everyone. Eight: we expect you to be on time for your shifts. If you think you’re going to be late or something has come up such as a family emergency or some other emergency, call us. We’ll try to find someone to cover for you until you arrive or find someone to cover your shift. Same thing if you’re sick. Please give us at least an hour notice.”Juliette explained, smiling gently at the group as they shifted and nodded.

“Nine: if anyone makes you uncomfortable speak up. Tell another coworker if it’s a specific customer or even a member of security if you’re working in the club. If it’s another coworker come to us. We’ll try to help you out and figure out a way to make you feel comfortable again. Same thing if you begin to have an anxiety or panic attack. We will let you step outside to relax and catch a breath of fresh air. Finally, ten: if there is ever anyone who threatens you or attempts to rob the location, there are several panic buttons around the building. The D.J.’s booth, three on the bar, one on the front counter, one of the hostess stand and one in the hallway leading to the kitchen and back rooms. Press the panic button and it will set off an alarm in the security room. There, Rich and/or Sans will contact the police before coming down in an attempt to defuse the situation.”Elliot finished, watching as Sans and Rich nodded in approval while the others glanced at the pair.

Juliette and Angel then showed their employees where the panic buttons were, which made the group visibly relax. Heading outside, Angel and Juliette asked that everyone park at the left side or in back of the building so there’ll be enough space for customers to park. They also showed the two emergency exits and explained that the only time customers were allowed in the back rooms was when there’s an emergency such as a fire or tornado. They then asked that all of them meet up in the left area of the parking lot if there is ever a fire in the place. After that, Juliette led the way back into the restaurant where she pulled out already prepared food from one of the large fridges in the kitchen. It was simple enough to heat up, especially since she had made them all her special tacos that Grillby had wanted her to add to the menu. Everyone enjoyed their food and conversation was warm and friendly as they all got to know each other.

When they were all done eating, Juliette took the cooks in the back and showed them how to use the dishwasher and sterilizer in the kitchen. Again, she thanked the arrival of monsters since a company run by monsters had created machines that run off a magical generator. What would normally take about ten minutes or longer only took five minutes to wash and sterilize the dishes. Everyone took another tour of the place to just explore and see anything that they might’ve missed during the main tour. Napstablook was very happy with his booth and he happily confirmed that he knows how to use it.

Once everyone was finished wandering around, Juliette and Angel told them when to come back and what they can expect. Locking up the building and turning everything off, they all went the separate ways, though Sans surprised Angel and Juliette by asking if he could hang out. The girls happily told him to follow them back to the apartment where Angel disappeared outside with Shade. Juliette fought down a blush when her friend sent her a sly look as she headed outside with Shade. Giving herself a mental shake, she got herself and Sans something to drink before they settled down on the sectional. Flipping through the channels, she finally settled on a show about space; figuring that Sans would enjoy it and it was also something that she enjoys. Sure enough, Sans instantly became riveted to the program, his eyes widening slightly as the narrator talked about the Milky Way and different constellations.

“I’d love to see them someday.”Sans said, his voice filled with wonder as Juliette blinked and looked at him.

“You haven’t been stargazing yet?”She asked, surprise in her voice as Sans shook his head.

“No. I’ve…never had the time.”He said, Juliette frowning lightly.

“Ya know…the first time I ever saw the stars was when the barrier broke. We were standing there on Mt. Ebott and the sky…it was beautiful. The sun was setting and the stars began appearing…”He added, wistfulness in his voice as Juliette listened intently.

“You didn’t have stars in the underground?”She asked, her voice soft as Sans shook his head.

“No, we had these…crystals in this area near Snowdin. They were our stars and monsters would constantly make wishes on them. In a way…it was one of our only ways to keep hope.”Sans answered, Juliette nodding lightly as she thought.

“What did you wish for?”She asked, watching as Sans let out a small chuckle as he glanced at her.

“What I wished for has already come true, doll.”He said, making Juliette blink at the new nickname.

Juliette felt her cheeks heat up in a blush, but she couldn’t help the small thrill that spread through her. She would love to let Sans go stargazing, but there’s so much light pollution that it’s hard to see all the constellations. Shifting, she instantly thought of the cabin her uncle Sebastian had left her. It had been in his family for awhile; something that his great-great grandparents had bought. He had passed the cabin down to her in his will and she used it as a little paradise whenever things became too overwhelming and chaotic in her life. Angel loved going to the cabin, especially since it was right on the shore of a lake. There was plenty of room so Angel, Papyrus and even Alphys and Undyne could come with them.

“Hey…I…I have a cabin up north. It’s on the shore of a lake and it’s in the perfect location to go stargazing. There’s nothing but woods around it and the nearest neighbor is a good ten minute drive. Do…Do you think you’d want to go? We could head up in January and stay there for a few days. Pap, Angel, Alphys and Undyne can come with us.”Juliette said, making Sans look at her with surprise and wonder.

“Really?! I…That would be great.”Sans said, his grin becoming a genuine smile.

“Great! I’ll make a call to the ranger to check on the house and ensure that the pipes haven’t cracked or anything.”Juliette said, smiling brightly as Sans nodded with a smile.

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The following weeks were filled with training at Heart and Soul and Christmas shopping. Things were going great in training; the cooks were doing well in learning the different dishes and specialties. The newer waiters and waitresses struggled lightly in learning how to deal with crowds and writing in shorthand in a way so the cooks could still understand what the customers wanted. They began learning how to read body language so they could see whenever customers wanted to be left alone or if they were ready to be waited on or get their bills. They also learned how to explain, politely, to customers that they don’t accept tips but donations that will go to charities instead. They also learned how to deal with rude customers and deflect any snide comments or just ignore them. Grillby came by every other day to train the three bartenders and they were learning all of the tricks of the trade from the skilled monster.

The other bartenders learned how to make the specialty drinks and the new bartenders struggled but they managed to quickly learn flares and special moves to entertain the customers. Of course there were mistakes: too much of a certain liquor, too bitter, too sweet, but they were getting better and better every time. The bouncers learned how to watch for trouble thanks to Undyne, Papyrus and Alphys coming in and helping along with a few of Angel and Juliette’s friend. They also learned how to safely remove rowdy customers and defuse arguments and break up fights. Napstablook did his research on different, popular singers, bands and songs along with learning how to operate the karaoke machine and how to tweak the different machines. All of them got to try out the karaoke machine and had a great amount of fun laughing, singing and dancing in front of each other.

The general consensus of the employees was that Juliette and Angel were wonderful bosses. The two women were kind, helpful, devoted, hardworking and yet they were more than ready to put their foot down and re-enforce the rules. Angel and Juliette were happy to talk and laugh with their employees and learn about their families and lives. When the nineteenth of December came, all of them met in the restaurant and Angel and Juliette called everyone forward. When everyone was seated on the benches in the reception area, Angel and Juliette smiled warmly at everyone.

“Alright! Good job everyone! Training is going great and we can tell that you lot are getting more and more comfortable.”Angel said, grinning as everyone voiced their agreements and smiled.

“Now. This is the last time we’ll meet until after the New Year. You lot deserve a break and I know many of you have some plans to travel.”Juliette said, smiling warmly as some of the employees nodded.

“We hope to open for business in late February, Valentine’s Day at the earliest. This is based on your progress in training and how comfortable you are and if we think you’re ready. Now there will be some anxiety, we know, but we think you’ll be ready for the opening. It’ll be busy, yes, and we’ll be fully staffed at a few points so everyone can take their breaks and get a moment to sit down. We need security in full force when the club opens. We’ve given Mettaton the go ahead to begin advertising that he’ll be playing on our opening night and he’s sent us a message that he’s found someone else who is interested in playing as well.”Angel said, watching as everyone listened eagerly.

“Who?”Megan asked, her voice eager as Angel and Juliette grinned at each other.

“Adam Lambert. Mettaton recently had a concert where he opened for Adam and mentioned our business. We just got the phone call from Adam’s manager and asked about him playing at the club.”Angel said, grinning as the group excitedly began talking to each other.

“We were just as surprised and excited as you are. Now, this means we’ll have to be on top of security and we’ve already called in a few extra bouncers from a business for the night. They’ve been informed that this is a monster friendly establishment and we have both humans and monsters who work for us. They’ve assured us that their employees are accepting of monsters so there shouldn’t be any trouble. If there is, tell us as soon as you can.”Angel said, the others nodding in understanding.

“Also, the local paper has approached us asking to write an article about our business. We’ve agreed of course, since this will help bring in new customers. Our new website is being created thanks to Hannah’s husband.”Juliette said, smiling as the woman blushed and beamed at them.

They talked for a little more and listened to a few concerns from their employees before all of them headed out to their cars after clocking out and gathering their things. Sans and Rich went around and ensured everything was locked up and turned off before they set the alarms and headed out. Juliette and Angel headed to the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi to finish up their shopping…much like everyone else and their family apparently had in mind. Juliette had finally figured out what to get Sans after they had watched the show about space. Angel had been rather excited about the idea of heading up to the cabin up north and she had been the one to get in contact with Undyne and Alphys about them going as well. Papyrus had been excited as well when his brother talked about it with him and all of them were in agreement to go. Juliette had looked up if there were to be any meteor showers or anything going on and she found out that there is going to be a meteor shower sometime in early January.

They eventually separated so they could buy gifts for each other and later met up in the food court for dinner. Juliette talked about what her plans for making sugar cookies for their friends at Toriel’s house and she, Frisk and Papyrus would decorate them. Angel found it endearing that Papyrus and Frisk still believe in Santa and she had a feeling that Sans wouldn’t tell his younger brother that Santa isn’t real anytime soon. Angel talked about how she and her family will most likely spend the day sledding and choosing a tree before decorating it and the house. Juliette was rather eager to spend time with their friends, especially since she’ll be spending the night with the others.

“So, I’ll be heading over in the morning so I can get there in time to open presents.”Angel said, Juliette nodding her head.

“If you want, I can shadow-walk you over if you want to drop the car off at the apartment. I’ll be shadow-walking to Toriel’s house anyway.”Juliette offered, her voice soft as Angel blinked and grinned.

“I’m kinda surprised that you’re even offering.”She said, making Juliette frown in confusion as she chewed on her food.

“You hardly ever offer to shadow-walk me anywhere. You’re normally really strict on when you use your magic. Since the others found out, you’ve been using it a lot more freely.”Angel explained, watching as Juliette blinked and looked down at her tray thoughtfully.

“…I guess. I think…I think I’ve gotten more comfortable in using it. Toriel and Papyrus, even Frisk, keep encouraging me to use my magic.”She said, Angel grinning as she nodded.

“Good! I was getting worried about you, you know? You were always so tense and I could practically feel your magic humming underneath your skin and in the air around you. It felt as if it was struggling to escape.”Angel said, taking another bite of her burger.

“My magic is calmer. I still have to meditate of course, but not nearly as much as I used to.”Juliette admitted, finishing up her taco and crumpling the wrappers.

“I’m glad.”Angel said, smiling happily at her friend.

Finishing their meals, they went back to shopping in which they bought a few things for themselves that they hadn’t put on their lists. They also ended up buying new coats since theirs were rather worn and Angel even had a hole in hers. With their purchases in hand, they headed outside and piled everything into the car before heading to PetSmart for Trixie and Shade. They were rather happy to find fake stockings that were stocked with new toys and treats for cats and dogs. Both of their pets’ toys were getting rather worn and Trixie had destroyed two of her toys so she’s down to a very worn and frayed toy mouse. Shade had practically destroyed all of his toys and needed more. His favorite tennis ball has holes in it and is frayed and worn. Walking around the large store, they picked up cans of wet food as treats for their four legged companions along with a new bed for Shade and a new scratching board for Trixie.

Heading out once they paid for their purchases, they drove back to the apartment and began the fun task of getting everything inside. Shade and Trixie were waiting for them eagerly, in which the girls stopped and pet and rubbed their companions before heading back outside to gather the rest of the bags. It took them two more trips before they finally locked the car and the door behind them. All of the presents went into their respective rooms along with the gift bags and wrapping paper they had bought. Shade was taken outside on a walk and Angel let him run around the dog run and had great fun throwing snowballs for her dog. Shade chased after them and looked confused whenever he picked up the snowball but it crumbled in his mouth. He continued to do this throughout the time spent in the dog run, in which each time he looked at Angel in confusion which made her crack up laughing even more.

Back inside, Juliette texted Toriel, asking what the motherly monster has in the kitchen and what she’ll need to bring with her for tomorrow. She packed up all of the cookie cutters that are Christmas themed before adding the mix to make colored frosting. After receiving an answer, she packed up mini M&M’s and mini chocolate chips. When Angel walked into the apartment after kicking snow off of her boots, she blinked when she saw the kitchen in utter chaos. She spotted Juliette kneeling on the counter as she tore through the upper cabinets looking for something. Raising an eyebrow, she shook her head and leaned against one of the counters, waiting for her friend to notice her and explain what is going on. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long and Juliette blinked and looked at her wide-eyed.

“So?”Angel asked, looking at the chaos around them.

“Sorry! I’m looking for my frosting tips. As soon as Papyrus and Sans are at Torie’s we’re going to start making the cookies.”Juliette said, grinning sheepishly at her friend.

“Aren’t they in the bin you use for holding the sprinkles and other stuff?”Angel asked, frowning as she peered at the cabinets.

“Yes! But I can’t find the bin.”Juliette huffed, drawing on her magic so she can begin putting things away.

Angel looked through the cabinets before opening the pantry and looking around. She ignored Juliette when her friend claimed to have already looked through it. Peering up at the top shelf, she smirked and snagged the small footstool. Juliette blinked when Angel stood on the footstool before moving things around on the top shelf and reaching into the back of it. Her eyes widened when Angel pulled out the bin that has some of her older cookie cutters, the sprinkles and the frosting tips and bags. She smiled sheepishly at her friend and happily took the bin, adding it to the plastic bag filled with the other things she’ll be taking with her to Toriel’s.

“Thanks, hon.”She said, hugging Angel before she began the process of cleaning up her mess.

“No problem. I’ll be holed up in my room wrapping.”Angel said, snagging a can of pop from the fridge along with a small bag of Cheetos.

“Alright. I’m making steak, pasta and peas for dinner.”Juliette said, Angel nodding as she headed for her room.

It took her a few minutes to clean everything up, but once she did Juliette headed into her own room to begin the process of wrapping everything up. Yes, there’s still a few days before she has to go to Toriel’s, but she wants to be prepared for everything so she’s not scrambling around at the last minute. Toriel’s already reassured her that there’ll be enough room for all of them to spend the night, which made her relax. Of course, she didn’t mind if that meant she’d be sleeping on the sofa or on an air mattress; so long as she could get some sleep before the excitement of Christmas morning. Shaking her head, Juliette began pulling everything out of its bag and removing the price tags. She made sure to lock her door, knowing that there’s a very real chance that Angel might try her luck in sneaking a peak at her presents. Juliette also carefully taped the gift receipts to the gifts, or even tucked them into the gifts for the clothing. She always made sure she got gift receipts in case someone didn’t like their gift or had gotten doubles.

Halfway through wrapping Asgore’s gift, Juliette jumped when her phone rang. Looking around, she quickly snagged it from her bedside table and answered it.

“Hello, Juliette.”

“Oh! Hi, Tori. Is everything alright?”Juliette asked, smiling as she adjusted her hold on her phone.

“Everything’s fine. I was just wondering if you have any plans for where Shade will stay while you’re gone.”Toriel said, making Juliette blink.

“Not that I know of. I was thinking of just popping over a few times while we’re gone to I can take him out and ensure he and Trixie are fed.”She answered, listening as Toriel hummed faintly.

“If you’d like, you can bring him over here. Frisk adores Shade and it’ll be no trouble.”

“A-Are you sure?!”Juliette asked, surprise in her voice as Toriel chuckled softly.

“I’m positive. You can head over when Angel leaves for her family’s house. That way you won’t have to worry about trying to shadow-walk with him.”Toriel offered, making Juliette smile.

“Thanks a lot, Tori. I’ll ask Angel about it. She might just want to take Shade with her but her parent’s dogs don’t generally get along with Shade. I’ll text you when I know.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“Talk to you soon.”Juliette said, smiling as Toriel repeated the same before they hung up.

“That solves that problem.”Juliette mused, returning to her wrapping as she thought about Shade’s excitement about going to a new place.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Christmas Eve morning dawned bright and early for Angel and Juliette. They moved through their morning routines with an air of excitement and giddiness that normally wasn’t there. Angel had been touched at Toriel’s thoughtfulness when it came to Shade. Of course she had agreed at the offer and so Shade’s new bed was packed up along with his dishes and a can of wet food. Juliette still planned on stopping by the apartment to check on Trixie and spend some time with her cat so Trixie won’t be so lonely. Thankfully Trixie liked being alone though she still does love attention. After a hearty breakfast, they packed up all of the gifts, in which Juliette made sure she packed the gifts Angel had bought for their friends into the large bag. They double checked their overnight bags and packed up their toiletries after showering. After that came the task of packing everything into the car which was rather difficult considering how much they had to put inside the trunk and backseat while ensuring Shade had enough room.

By eleven o’clock, they were finally packed and piled into the car. Both of them chatted happily about the restaurant and other topics during the drive to Toriel’s, along with singing along to the Christmas songs playing on the radio. Pulling into Toriel’s driveway, they laughed when Frisk darted out the door with Asgore and Toriel following behind. Angel and Juliette climbed out of the car, hugging the eager boy as he slammed into them and hugged them tightly. He happily opened the backseat door and snagged Shade’s leash, to which the German Shepard eagerly jumped out of the car and began sniffing around, Frisk being tugged along after him.

“Thanks for letting Shade stay here.”Angel said, popping the trunk and handing Juliette her overnight bag.

“It’s no trouble at all. Frisk adores Shade and we know it would cut down on how much time Juliette will spend here if she has to constantly pop over to the apartment to take him out. He can run around the backyard freely since it’s fenced in.”Toriel said, smiling as Asgore took the large bag of gifts from Angel.

“I’ll still pop over to take care of Trixie but I won’t have to do it as frequently.”Juliette said closing the trunk and hugging Angel.

“I’ll head over as soon as I finish breakfast with my folks and siblings.”Angel said, smiling as Toriel hugged her as Frisk headed over with Shade.

[ _We’ll make sure to wait for you!_ ]He signed, hugging Angel happily.

“Thanks kiddo.”Angel said, ruffling Frisk’s hair before hugging Juliette.

“Be careful. The roads are a little icy.”Juliette said, Angel nodding as she rubbed Shade’s head before getting into the car.

“I will. Bye!”Angel called, closing the door and starting the car.

All of them headed back inside where Frisk removed the leash and harness from Shade and the dog took off to explore the house. Asgore set down the large bag of presents, in which Frisk eagerly looked to Toriel with pleading eyes. She glanced at Juliette, smiling as the young woman nodded slightly. Giving her permission, Frisk eagerly opened the bag and began pulled out different sized gifts and organized them underneath the tree. Even though the tree isn’t decorated yet, there are already a small number of presents underneath it. While Frisk was absorbed in his task, Juliette followed Toriel upstairs to her room and opened her duffle bag.

“Angel and I thought it’d be best to keep the presents from ‘Santa’ in a separate bag. I kinda figured Frisk would be eager to go through the main bag and unload it.”Juliette said, grinning as Toriel chuckled.

“Good idea. Sans dropped by yesterday when Frisk was with his friend. He dropped off all the Santa gifts he had bought.”Toriel said, taking the small number of presents from Juliette and tucking them into her closet.

Juliette pulled out the bag she had brought for making the cookies and followed Toriel back downstairs. She smiled as Frisk hurried over and eagerly talked about how excited he was to have everyone here for Christmas. Juliette laughed and told him that she was happy as well. She also answered his questions about what she had brought for baking, in which he eagerly asked if he could help her make the colored frosting. Laughing, she promised that he could mix the food dye in with the frosting, which made the boy grin. It was just after Juliette had set down the bag in the kitchen when Frisk darted to the front door when Shade started barking at it. Opening the door revealed a very excited Papyrus as Sans stood behind his brother with a fond smile. Frisk happily pulled the brothers into the house, to which Papyrus happily patted Shade and rubbed underneath his collar which made the German Shepard lean into the touch.

“ _Juliette_!”Papyrus cried, sweeping the small woman into his arms as she laughed and hugged him back.

“It’s good to see you too, Pap. Hey, Sans.”Juliette said, smiling warmly at the pair.

“Hey.”Sans said chuckling as Frisk hugged him.

[ _Mom, can we start baking?!_ ]Frisk asked, looking at Toriel as she walked out of the kitchen.

“Alright, let Sans and Papyrus put their things down and we’ll begin making the dough.”Toriel said, laughing as Frisk practically dragged the brothers up the stairs.

Juliette and Toriel headed into the kitchen to pull everything out of the cupboards while Asgore put the presents that the brothers brought underneath the tree. Frisk and Papyrus ran down the stairs a few minutes later while Sans followed behind at a slower pace. Inside the kitchen, Papyrus and Frisk eagerly watched as Toriel spread out parchment paper on the table while Juliette laid out the ingredients. All of them were soon laughing and talking as they began making the dough. Frisk was in charge of cracking the eggs while Papyrus measured out the other ingredients. While Toriel mixed the dough together the pair watched as Juliette began making the colored frosting; in which they eagerly added the food dye to the small bowls. Watching the white frosting turn different colors was fascinating to Papyrus and he eagerly called in his older brother. Sans ambled in and watched what was going on, his grin wide and genuine as Papyrus eagerly showed him how the frosting changed colors.

As soon as the dough was finished, Toriel floured the parchment paper and handed a good sized chunk of dough to Frisk and Papyrus before they were each given a rolling pin. The pair had a lot of run flattening out the dough while Juliette dipped the cookie cutters into flour to reduce the chances of them sticking to the dough. Then began the fun and rather hilarious process of cutting out different shapes and animals from the dough using the cookie cutters. It was fun watching the pair playfully argue about the different cutters, though it was even more hilarious when Sans snuck up to the table and managed to snag a piece of dough.

“Sans! That is for Santa!”Papyrus cried, glaring after his brother’s retreating back.

“Don’t worry, Pap. We have plenty of dough and we’re making enough for Santa and ourselves.”Juliette said, smiling as the tall skeleton blinked before beaming.

All of them had great fun in making the sugar cookies. Of course Toriel and Juliette managed to remain relatively clean besides their hands and a few splotches of flour and batter on their aprons. Frisk and Papyrus, however, managed to get flour and dough _everywhere_. Frisk even had managed to somehow get flour in his hair and on the tip of his nose. Papyrus, meanwhile, had nearly coated his cape-like scarf in flour and dough even clung to a few of his ribs much to their confusion and surprise. They ended up rerolling the dough at least five times in order to get the most out of all of it. When they weren’t able to make another cookie from it, Frisk and Papyrus split the small morsel and happily devoured it. Sans, of course, kept trying to sneak into the kitchen and steal some dough, but the second time he did that Toriel sent him a warning look as Papyrus and Frisk scolded the skeleton.

Undyne and Alphys arrived when the first tray of cookies was pulled out of the oven. Of course Undyne was more than happy to join in on decorating the finished cookies. Alphys hung out in the living room with Asgore and Sans, the trio talking about something while the others laughed and chatted in the kitchen. Like most things in baking and decorating, things got even messier than before. Even Juliette managed to get colored frosting on her cheeks and nose, which made the others laugh. Toriel smiled happily throughout it all and was more than willing to praise the others on their decorating skills. Juliette paused in her decorating of a present shaped cookie and hurried out into the living room. Sans, Alphys and Asgore looked up and Asgore started laughing when he saw her. Alphys covered her mouth with her claws, trying to stifle her laughter as Juliette hurried over to Sans and grabbed his hands.

“Come on! You have to help us decorate.”She said, pulling the lazy skeleton off of the couch.

“Awe, c’mon doll. I’m _bone_ tired from all the shopping I’ve been doing.”Sans grumbled, though there was a hint of laughter and affection in his voice as Juliette rolled her eyes.

“You can be a lazy bones later, Sans. Maybe Toriel will let you have some more cookies if you help us out.”She said, grinning when Sans raised a brow bone at her.

“I’m holding ya to that.”He said, blinking as he walked into the kitchen and saw the mess.

Sans wisely pulled off his beloved blue hoodie and accepted the apron from Toriel in which he put it over the festive shirt he’s wearing. Papyrus was overjoyed when his brother joined them and eagerly showed Sans the cookies he’s already decorated. Sans chuckled softly; knowing that he couldn’t deny his brother now that Papyrus has set a number of undecorated cookies in front of him. Soon enough, Sans was busy decorating his own pile of cookies and just relaxing and having fun with his brother and friends. It didn’t take too much longer before their laughter, jokes and puns(much to Papyrus’ dismay) attracted Alphys and Asgore. While Toriel was slightly stiff around her husband, she finally relaxed once more and they all had a great time. It didn’t take long before all of the cookies were decorated and put in containers with some slices of bread on top of them to keep the soft and tasty. However, once the last cookie was put away, Frisk decided to have a little fun.

“So I told her-“

Juliette was interrupted in mid-sentence when a cloud of flour hit her on the side of her face. Sans’s eyes widened before he broke out laughing, the others joining in as the woman coughed out a small puff of flour. Turning her head, Juliette’s eyes narrowed when she saw a smirking Frisk standing near, his hands covered in flour.

“Oh no you didn’t.”She said, stalking towards the boy as he grinned impishly at her.

[ _So what if I did?_ ]

Frisk jumped back as the bag of flour flew towards Juliette, her glowing eye letting him know he was in trouble. Juliette reached into the bag and grabbed a generous handful of flour before racing around the kitchen table chasing after Frisk. When she flung her handful, she expected it to hit the boy, however, he ducked and slid underneath the table…leaving her handful to hit Undyne in the chest. Juliette’s eyes widened before she shrieked and fled from the fish monster as Undyne snagged the bag of flour and gave chase. Everyone was soon caught in the heated flour battle, especially when Toriel laughed and pulled out another bag of flour for them to use. The house was filled with laughter and shouting as the group of friends chased each other around the kitchen. Sadly, all things must come to an end and the great flour battle ended when the last bit of flour was used from the bags.

The kitchen looked as if a tornado of flour had swept through the room, which wasn’t too far from the truth. The group was either sitting on the floor laughing as they struggled to catch their breath or were leaning against the walls or sitting down at the table. Sans and Juliette were leaning on their hands back to back, laughter and happiness in their eyes while Papyrus leaned against the wall and Frisk leaned against him. Alphys had ditched her glasses and was sitting at the table, giggling as Undyne tried brushing her face off. Asgore and Toriel were smiling as they leaned against the counters, their eyes bright and dancing.

“Oh! We need a picture!”Juliette huffed, smiling widely as the others looked at her.

They watched as Juliette used her magic to pull her phone from her pocket. It had, shockingly, remained untouched by their flour battle. Everyone gathered their energy and stood in the center of the kitchen, evidence of their battle surrounding them as Juliette floated her phone far enough away to ensure they were all on the screen. Smiling brightly, she snapped a picture of them before snapping another one, this one with all of them pulling funny faces. Laughing breathlessly, Toriel opened the back door and had them hurriedly step outside and brush themselves off. Sans and Juliette used their magic to sweep the flour into a garbage bag, which was set outside by the curb. After they were all brushed down as much as possible, they took turns carefully scampering through the house to take showers.

Juliette smiled as she pulled up Facebook and quickly posted the two pictures, knowing that Angel will love them. In fact, she quickly sent the two pictures to the redhead and only had to wait a minute before her friend replied.

Angel-Bangle: _A flour fight, really?!_

Juliette: _Yes really! Tori and Asgore even joined in._

Angel-Bangle: _Wow. You guys are something else._

Juliette: _You totally would’ve joined in!_

Juliette laughed when all she received back was the emoji of a smiley sticking its tongue out. Shaking her head, she perked up when Toriel told her it was her turn to shower. Picking her way through the house, she ducked into Toriel’s room and grabbed her toiletries before hurrying to the bathroom. It took a little to fully wash the flour from her hair and skin, but when she was sure she was clean she finally turned off the water and wrapped her towel around herself. She flushed when she realized that she had left her pajamas in Toriel’s room and used her magic to gather her flour covered clothes so she won’t get dirty. Poking her head out of the bathroom, she tightened her hold on her towel and stepped out, turning off the light behind her. Padding down the hallway with her clothes floating behind her, she turned the corner and nearly ran into Sans. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him and he blinked as he looked down at her.

Much to her embarrassment, a faint dusting of blue rose to Sans’ cheekbones, making her blush even harder. Sans coughed lightly and rubbed the back of his skull before hurriedly stepping to the side, adverting his eyes from Juliette even though he longed to make a comment. However, he was surprised when Juliette inched around him, keeping her back from facing him. When she did turn away from him, her clothes floated close to her back, shielding the upper part that wasn’t covered by her towel. Shaking his head, he turned around and blinked when he saw Undyne smirking at him.

“Saw something you like, bone boy?”She asked, her sharp toothed grin widening as Sans glared lightly at her.

“No idea what you mean.”He said, continuing towards the room where he and Papyrus were sleeping in.

“ _Sure_. So you weren’t appreciating Jules’ hot bod, huh? Even I gotta admit she’s pretty good lookin’ for a human.”Undyne said, snickering when Sans’ glare sharpened.

However, as he ignored Undyne’s laughter and headed into his and Papyrus’ bedroom, he couldn’t help but agree that Juliette has a nice body. But, the fact that she was hiding her back from him made him wonder why. Was there something wrong with her back that she didn’t want him to see? Or was it because she just wanted to make sure he wasn’t staring at her?

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

The rest of the day was filled with laughter and plenty of activities. They all decorated the tree, in which Sans and Juliette used their magic to help decorate the fireplace mantel and the banister of the stairs. Frisk loved getting to put the star on top of the tree, in which Papyrus lifted the boy onto his shoulders so Frisk could reach. Toriel, Alphys and Juliette cleaned the kitchen afterwards while Frisk eagerly finished adding the presents underneath the tree and organizing everything so it fit nicely. Shade loved getting to run around the house and loved all of the attention he was getting from everyone. He also loved it when Papyrus and Frisk took him outside to play, though Juliette was slightly worried when she saw Shade running back to the pair with a bone in his mouth. Sans was the one who reassured her that Papyrus had used his magic to conjure up the bone; that way he wasn’t using one from his own body.

Juliette popped back to the apartment to spend some time with Trixie, which her cat adored even though she woke the feline from her nap in order to do so. She headed back to Toriel’s house after refilling Trixie’s water bowl and giving the cat a few treats. Back at the house, everyone settled down in the living room to watch Christmas movies, in which Juliette had an interesting time explaining some of the culture and timeline differences to her friends. Papyrus asked about mistletoe, which appeared in one of the movies they watched. Juliette was blushing slightly as she explained that two people had to kiss underneath the mistletoe if they were both caught underneath it at the same time. It was considered good luck when the pair kissed and bad luck if they didn’t. Frisk stuck his tongue out at hearing that kissing was involved, making the others laugh. Toriel made an offhand comment on how she had bought some at the store the other day and had set it up somewhere around the house. Everyone kept a watchful eye out for the tiny plant ever since.

Surprisingly it was Papyrus and Alphys who discovered the mistletoe. Toriel had hung it up in the archway separating the living room from the downstairs hallway. They discovered it when they heard Toriel laughing, making them frown before the goat monster pointed up. The others began laughing as well, especially when Alphys blushed deeply and began stammering while a dusting of orange rose to Papyrus’ cheekbones. However, none-the-less he bent down and bussed a kiss to Alphys’ cheek, making the clementine monster blush deeply before she hurried to Undyne. Undyne teasingly threatened Papyrus, though the laughter and smile on her face put the tall skeleton at ease and let him know she wasn’t truly mad at him.

The group carefully made sure to walk through the archway one at a time, but Toriel had moved the mistletoe. Next to get caught was Undyne and Frisk, to which the boy protested and flat out refused to let Undyne kiss him. She ended up chasing him around the house before she caught him and swept him into her arms. Frisk squirmed while the others laughed as Undyne planted a big smooch on his cheeks. They had gotten caught in the kitchen by the fridge where Toriel had hung up the mistletoe. The final kiss of the day was when, surprisingly and hilariously, Juliette and Asgore sat down on the couch next to each other. Sans’ laughter alerted them that something was up and when they looked up Juliette flushed when she saw that she and the monster king were sitting underneath the latest location of the mistletoe. Asgore laughed softly as Juliette felt her lips twitch into a smile. She shifted until she was perched on her knees so he wouldn’t have to bend down so much. Leaning up, she kissed Asgore on the cheek before he returned the favor, making the others laugh.

Dinner was delicious and Toriel smiled and blushed softly at the compliments everyone gave her for her cooking. They ended the day of fun and laughter by watching The Grinch and having a slice of Toriel’s butterscotch-cinnamon pie. By the time the movie ended, Papyrus and Frisk were beginning to doze off in which Toriel and Sans led the pair upstairs to bed. Both demanded that they set out cookies and milk for Santa, so Toriel helped them get a festive plate and put the cookies on it while she got a glass of milk. Setting the plate and glass on the coffee table, the foursome headed upstairs while Undyne shook her head fondly. Toriel and Sans returned ten minutes later; the bag of the Santa presents in hand. The group talked quietly as they filled the stockings which were hung on the fireplace mantel and added the presents underneath the tree while eating the cookies that had been left out. Alphys was the one who sheepishly drank the milk, though the others assured her that they weren’t thirsty.

Toriel and Asgore headed up to bed after they took the trash out while Undyne helped Juliette set up the couch as her makeshift bed. Alphys said goodnight and headed upstairs; Undyne promising to be up soon. Juliette smiled and thanked Undyne before the woman headed upstairs, leaving Sans and Juliette in the living room. Sans headed to the kitchen to get something to drink before bed while Juliette let Shade out one last time. Once Shade finished his business, she shadow-walked to the apartment to check on Trixie, in which she refilled her cat’s water and gave her some more attention before sleepily heading back to Toriel’s house. She was surprised to see Sans waiting up for her, but he smiled grinned and lazily waved goodnight before heading upstairs after she turned off the light. Lying down on the couch, she pulled the light blanket over her and smiled as Shade jumped up and settled down at her feet.

“You’re lucky I put down the sheet.”She muttered, feeling Shade lazily wag his tail.

Juliette closed her eyes and relaxed; soon slipping into a light sleep. Sadly, it only seemed like a few minutes passed before she heard the floorboard of the bottom stair creak underneath someone’s weight. Lifting her head, it took her a minute before she saw the small outline of Frisk padding towards the Christmas tree. A grin spread across her lips as she sat up, Shade lifting his head as the boy froze and turned towards her with wide eyes.

“What are you doin’ up?”Juliette asked, her voice husky from sleep.

[ _Sorry! I wanted to see if Santa came._ ]Frisk signed, smiling sheepishly as Juliette chuckled softly.

“As you can see, he has. He was a lot quieter than you were.”She said, grinning teasingly as the boy flushed and shifted.

“C’mon, kid, back to bed with ya.”

Both Juliette and Frisk jumped slightly and looked towards the stairs where Sans was standing. Frisk rubbed the back of his neck before heading back upstairs with Sans following. Sans winked back at Juliette, making the woman shake her head fondly. She could remember the excitement of waking up on Christmas morning and sprinting down to the living room in hopes of seeing what Santa brought her. Sadly, those childish dreams had been dashed pretty early on the first time Santa hadn’t brought her anything. Her father was adamant that it was because Santa didn’t like freaks like her which had crushed her. Her mother had taken some kind of pity on her and told her that Santa wasn’t real; that he was a fable like the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Of course she had been devastated, but in a way she was thankful that the lack of presents was because her father didn’t want to spend the money on rather than believing that Santa hated her because of her magic.

Standing up, Juliette sighed. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get to sleep anytime soon. So, she pulled the small throw blanket off of the back of the couch and draped it over her shoulders before slipping into her shoes. Shade eagerly followed her to the back door, his tail wagging as she opened it. The dog trotted outside as soon as the door was open and Juliette smiled as she followed him out, closing the door behind her. She moved over to the small bench and sat down, shivering faintly as snow fell around her. Closing her eyes, she listened as Shade ran around and the door opened, though she didn’t reopen her eyes. Someone walked over and sat down beside her and the faint scent of something crisp mixed with something wild filled her nose, letting her know that Sans had joined her.

“What are ya doing out here, doll?”

“Just couldn’t get back to sleep. It’s a beautiful night.”She said, opening her eyes and looking up at the sky.

“Hmm.”

“What about you? I thought you would’ve gone back to sleep after putting Frisk to bed.”She added, looking over at the skeleton.

“Nah. Saw you were out here and decided to join ya.”Sans said, his grin becoming more genuine as he looked over at her.

Juliette blushed lightly and they fell into a comfortable silence, watching as Shade ran around burned off energy. As they sat, Juliette began thinking about what Angel had said about her feelings for Sans. She knew that her best friend was right; that it wasn’t good for her to keep her feeling for the skeleton bottled up inside. She had gone over their interactions from the last month and a half and had begun to notice a few things. Sans’ eyes always…’softened’ whenever he looked at her; his smile and grin became more genuine and heartfelt whenever they talked. He always listened intently to her; asking plenty of questions and laughing along with some of her funny stories. Even though her puns and jokes were terrible, they never failed to make him laugh even though she knew how horrible they were. There was no denying that Sans is handsome for a skeleton. Yes, his bones are thicker than a human’s and his height made her feel small(which wasn’t too difficult considering her height), but she never felt intimidated by him. Rather, he made her feel safe.

Swallowing thickly Juliette knew she had to do something. No more hiding, no more denying her feelings for him. Even if Sans doesn’t feel the same way about her at least she can tell herself that she tried. Turning her head, she lightly nudged Sans, making the skeleton look down at her with a questioning look.

“What’s up?”He asked, blinking when Juliette shifted until she was facing him.

“C-Could you close your eyes?”Juliette asked, making Sans raise an eyebrow before he shrugged.

Juliette watched as Sans closed his eyes, her heart thundering in her chest. Shifting once more, she rose onto her knees so she was eye level with him. Her magic pulsed under her skin, reacting to her emotions before she wrestled it under control before she accidently made something or someone begin floating. Drawing in a deep breath, she steeled herself before leaning forward. As she moved closer to Sans’ face, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his teeth; trying to convey all of her feelings she had for the monster. Sans jolted in shock, making Juliette flinch and pull back. She quickly looked down; positive that she’s glowing red in embarrassment. She noticed that Shade was back on the porch nearby and was sitting by the door.

“S-Sorry. I-I-I should get inside.”She stammered, shifting and hurriedly rising from the bench.

However, before she could step away from the bench, boney fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back with surprising strength. Juliette gasped as she stumbled and fell onto Sans’ lap, her eyes wide in shock as she looked up at Sans. His pupils were glowing in the dim light provided by the moon and his grin had widened. Her breath caught in her throat as his other hand reached up and tilted her head up as he lowered his head. She idly noticed that he has two small fangs; something that she had never noticed before even though they’ve spent so much time together.

“You really gotta stop trying to run, doll.”Sans said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down Juliette’s spine.

Now, kissing a skeleton is an…interesting experience to say the least. One would think that you wouldn’t be able to tell if the skeleton was kissing you or not, but Juliette could. The pressure of Sans’ teeth on her lips, along with the feeling, made her melt against him. He’s kissing her! He’s actually kissing her! Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Sans’ neck, kissing him back happily. His hands gripped her waist and lifted her, causing her to squeak against his teeth as he positioned her so she was straddling him. She blushed at the position, but never pulled away from the kiss. However, the bite of the cold made her shiver and pull back, only then did she realize the blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders had fallen off when she had fallen onto his lap. She shivered again, though willingly allowed Sans to pull her closer to the heat that was radiating from him.

“I hope that wasn’t a onetime thing, doll.”He said, his voice still low in pitch as he looked down at her.

“What?! N-No! I…I mean…I did it because I really…I _really_ like you, Sans. More than a friend should.”Juliette said, the red of her blush slowly creeping down her neck as Sans smiled.

“Good, ‘cause the feelings I have for you definitely aren’t what friends should feel for another friend.”He said, making her look up at him sharply.

“Really?!”

“Really, really, doll.”He said, grinning as she smiled brightly at him.

“C’mon, let’s get you inside. Unlike you the cold just goes right through me.”He added, having seen her shiver again.

They stood and Juliette crouched to snag the blanket before they headed back inside. Shade happily trotted over to his bowls near the pantry while the pair headed to the living room. Instead of heading upstairs, Sans looked at the couch before looking at Juliette with questioning eyes. It took her a moment before she realized he was silently asking her if he could sleep on the couch with her. Her cheeks heated up in another blush but she had to admit that, even though he’s a skeleton, he’s damn comfortable. Nodding she watched as he moved back the blanket on the couch and settled down so his head was on the pillow. Opening his arms, Juliette carefully climbed onto him, her cheeks burning as she carefully laid down on top of him. Sans shifted slightly and pushed her closer before draping the blanket over the both of them. Juliette shifted slightly before finding a rather comfortable position with her head resting on his chest and her arms curled around his ribs. One of his hands rested comfortably on the middle of her back while he gently ran his fingers of his other hand through her hair; soothing her nerves.

“How do you feel about going on a date with me?”Sans asked, his voice soft in the darkness.

“…I’d love that.”Juliette whispered, smiling when she felt and heard his magic thrumming underneath his clothes.

“How ‘bout the twenty-eighth? I’ll pick you up around noon?”He asked, making Juliette lift her head and look up at him.

“Sounds great. How should I dress?”She asked, hardly believing that she was planning a date, an actual _date_ (!) with Sans.

“Hm… _tibia_ honest I’m not sure yet. I’ll text you when I plan that far.”Sans said, chuckling when Juliette faked a shocked look.

“You’ll actually be planning something! Amazing! Write this on the calendar!”She exclaimed, giggling when Sans rolled his eyes and adopted a fake hurt look.

“Hey! Give a man some slack! I’m capable of plannin’ things. Most of the time I’d just rather…go with the flow.”He said, shrugging lightly as Juliette giggled and rested her head on his chest once more.

The sound of him breathing and his magic underneath her ear, along with the feeling of his phalanges passing through her hair was soothing. She vaguely noted that Shade walked back into the room and settled down on the floor nearby. Slowly, she slipped into a deep sleep, comforted by feeling Sans so close to her. Sans, meanwhile, felt and heard when Juliette fell asleep. Her body relaxed fully and her breathing deepened. His mind reeled over what had happened in the span of, what, twenty minutes? He had been confused when she had asked him to close his eyes when they were outside, but had listened, figuring that she was going to give him a present early or wanted to show him something. However, he had never, _never_ expected to feel her lips press against him in a kiss. He had been shocked, especially when he could practically feel the adoration and deep affection she had for him through that simple press of her lips. He had mentally screamed at himself when she had pulled away; his mind yelling that he needed to do _something_ before she got away from him.

So, he had reached out and pulled her back. The weight of her body against him had nearly made him breathless. He had needed to show her that he felt the same way. Yes, he had no doubt that it might be awkward for her to kiss him since all he did was press his teeth against her lips. However, she had melted against him and returned his kiss. He could hardly believe it when she had returned his kiss. The squeak she had let out when he picked her up and changed her position had been adorable, but the shiver she had admitted made him realize that she was undoubtedly cold. He had been overjoyed when she agreed to let him stay with her on the couch. Yes, Undyne will make fun of him, but the comforting weight of Juliette on top of him was the greatest feeling.

-Now I gotta think of somewhere to take her.-Sans thought, closing his eyes he slowly drifted off to sleep.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Sans slowly woke to the sound of hushed whispers and giggling. Shifting slightly, he cracked one of his eyes opened and saw that Juliette is still asleep on his chest. However the voices still wouldn’t shut up so he opened his other eye and saw Undyne, Papyrus and Frisk grinning nearby. Blinking, he raised an eyebrow when he saw the shit-eating grin on Undyne’s face while Pap looked happy. Frisk had a look of smugness on his face though the kid looked somewhat uncomfortable with the ‘affection’ since he was still in the stage where he thought girls and anything remotely romantic as disgusting. The moment was ruined when Juliette’s phone began ringing, making the others jump while Juliette moaned softly and burrowed her face further into Sans’ hoodie. However, she froze when it registered in her mind that her ‘bed’ is harder than normal…and moving. Her eyes shot open and she lifted her head, her eyes widening when she saw Sans grinning up at her while the others started laughing. Blushing deeply, she scrambled off of Sans and snagged her phone off of the floor next to her glasses. Angel’s name flashed across the screen and she hurriedly answered it while clearing her throat.

“M-Morning.”She said, ducking her head as she walked into the kitchen.

“Hey! You alright?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah, ‘m fine. How’s the family?”Juliette asked, blushing when Toriel smiled happily at her.

“They’re good. I’m leaving so I should be back at the apartment soon. You sure you’re okay?”Angel asked, worry in her voice as Juliette swallowed and ran a hand through her hair.

“Yeah, I’m alright. I’ll tell you when I come to get you. Text me when you get to the apartment.”Juliette said, listening as Angel unlocked the car.

“Will do. See you soon.”

Juliette sighed and set down her phone after hanging up, though that was a cue for Toriel and Alphys to begin questioning her. Both of them asked when she and Sans had finally admitted their feelings for each other, to which she blushed deeply and stammered a few times. It was Alphys, surprisingly, who pointed out what Angel had a few days ago: that it was apparently obvious that she and Sans had feelings for each other. Juliette finally gave into their questions and told them what had happened last night, though she left out the part where Frisk had come down to scope out the presents. Alphys and Toriel smiled as they listened and told the woman that they were happy that she and Sans were finally together. Juliette blushed when Undyne walked into the kitchen and grabbed her in a headlock; messing up her hair and making the small woman squirm and attempt to pull away though that didn’t go very well given the woman’s immense strength. Thankfully Undyne released her and she was able to scamper upstairs to change into her normal clothes.

Coming back downstairs once she was dressed, Juliette headed into the kitchen were the scent of a rather delicious breakfast was being laid out. Sitting down beside Sans, she eagerly piled a light breakfast on her plate, knowing that Angel will soon text her. Before she was able to begin eating however, she felt Sans lightly touch the back of her left hand. Looking over at him, it took her a second before she realized he was silently asking her if it was alright if he held her hand. Smiling shyly, she grabbed Sans’ hand, her fingers sliding between his as she grabbed her fork with her free hand. Conversation was light as they ate, though Papyrus and Frisk were more than eager to have Angel over so they could begin opening presents. Juliette laughed at their eagerness and agreed when Frisk said that he would sort out everyone’s presents after he finished eating. Conversation also went to Juliette’s cabin, in which Undyne and Alphys asked her plenty of questions about where her cabin is and what it’s like. Frisk was disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to go since he’d be in school by then. However, he instantly perked up when Juliette suggested that they all go during the summer.

They all had just finished breakfast when Juliette’s phone went off. Looking at the screen, she saw that it’s a text from Angel saying that she’s at the apartment. Standing up, she reluctantly let go of Sans’ hand and took her plate and glass to the sink. Promising to return in a few minutes, she walked towards one of the shadowed corners and disappeared. Walking through the void was rather interesting for Juliette. She could see the shapes of her beasts wandering nearby but she could also see other vague shapes in the far distances. She never headed towards them; rather she followed the pull of her magic to the nearest shadow at her destination. Stepping out of the shadows, she found herself in her bedroom back at the apartment. She could hear Angel puttering around the kitchen and headed out of her room. Walking to the kitchen, she laughed as Angel hugged her tightly.

“Hey! How are you?”Angel asked, pulling back and looking her friend over with a critical eye.

“’m fine! I do have some news though.”Juliette said, making Angel raise an eyebrow.

“Alright, spill.”

“…I kissed Sans last night.”Juliette muttered, making Angel’s eyes widened before she squealed… _loudly_.

“Oh my god! And?! What happened?!”Angel demanded, her eyes bright as she looked at Juliette.

“Well, I pulled back from him when he jolted. However, before I could run into the house he pulled me back and kissed me. We ended up falling asleep on the couch together and I have a date with him on the twenty-eighth.”Juliette answered, making Angel grab her and jump up and down in excitement.

“Yay! Finally! I’m so happy for you!”Angel gushed, making Juliette blush heavily as she hugged the redhead back.

“Well, we’d better get going. Frisk and Pap are eager to open presents.”She said, making Angel beam at her and nod.

Angel gripped onto Juliette’s hand tightly as her friend walked towards the shadows in the dining room. The sensation of falling washed over her as Juliette led her into the shadows and she stumbled slightly but quickly regained her footing. Instead of looking around, she closed her eyes and let Juliette guide her through the void and shadows. Only when she felt hardwood floor underneath her feet did she open her eyes. She beamed when she saw that they had arrived in the kitchen at Toriel’s house. She hurried out of the kitchen and eagerly swept Frisk into a hug when the kid raced towards her. The others smiled and said hello, in which Papyrus happily hugged Angel as well. Juliette smiled as she walked into the room and headed over, though her eyes widened when a pair of boney arms wrapped around her waist.

“Took ya long enough.”Sans said, pressing up against Juliette’s back as the woman blushed and smiled as she turned her head to look back at him.

“What? Were you _bonely_ without me?”She asked, a teasing note in her voice as Sans chuckled.

“Maybe.”Sans drawled, making Juliette giggle.

“Come on, Sans!”Papyrus called, sitting down on the floor in front of a good sized pile of presents.

Sans stepped back but took Juliette’s hand before leading her over to the couch. Angel was grinning as she looked at her friends. She was beyond happy that Juliette and Sans are now together; they were honestly adorable together! The pair took their seats at the couch and Frisk happily pushed two good sized piles of presents towards the pair before crawling over and plopping down in front of his own gifts. After everyone was settled and had their presents in front of them. Frisk began it all by tearing open a present which was from Alphys. He grinned when he saw she had gotten him another game for his 3DS, to which he gave her a thumbs up. Everyone took turns opening their gifts, going around in a circle. In total, Frisk ended up getting three new games for his 3DS, a new game for his computer, a new hand knit sweater, a helpful book on politics(which you would think he’s too young for but as ambassador it’ll come in handy), the entire boxset of the Harry Potter books(a joint presents from Angel and Juliette as it has special edition covers on the books) and a new remote controlled tuck which he was more than eager to drive around the house and outside.

Toriel ended up with a new book on puns and jokes, two new cookbooks, a new sewing machine, a new mixer for the kitchen, three new puzzles and a rather large case for all of her yarn. Asgore got a collection of different flowers for his flower shop, new books, and a wide selection of different teas for him to try. Sans got his own new joke and pun book, a few science and astronomy books, a new handmade blanket, two new graphic tees, an MP3 player which already came with a wide selection of songs along with an ITunes gift card, a rather nice set of headphones and a brand new telescope. His eyes had gone wide when he unwrapped the telescope, his fingers trembling as he looked down at it. Juliette shifted nervously beside him while the others smiled warmly. Sans didn’t say anything, rather he pulled Juliette onto his lap and buried his face against her neck, making the woman blush but she smiled as she hugged him back.

Juliette ended up with new puzzles, a gift basket filled with her favorite lotions and sweets, two new cookbooks filled with different dishes from around the world, new anime DVD’s, new rollerblades and some really cool Harry Potter shirts and accessories. Angel ended up getting the same gift basket though it was filled with things she liked obviously, three new video games, some new manga, a few new CD’s and some movies that she had been searching for but hadn’t been able to find. Alphys ended up getting a lot of new anime and manga, some new science books, a couple new cute graphic tees, and a rather beautiful necklace from Undyne. Undyne got new books detailing different forms of martial arts, new training gear, new CD’s and some new shirts. Papyrus was overjoyed when he received many of the movies that Angel and Juliette had watched him. He also received new shirts, training gear, a few new action figures and his own cookbook which mostly contained recipes for various pasta dishes so he can continue to branch out and away from just spaghetti, though he has gotten worlds better at cooking thanks to Juliette, Sans and Undyne.

All of them gathered up the torn wrapping paper and threw it away, laughing and joking as they did so. They then gathered in the living room and sprawled out, settling down and watching a few more movies. Juliette found herself cuddled up against Sans, her head resting on his chest with one of his arms wrapped around her waist. She was honestly surprised on how quickly and comfortably she had settled into their new relationship. With her ex it had taken her some time to be this comfortable around him. However, she figured that it’s because she knows Sans and knows that he won’t pressure her for anything and won’t betray her like others. He made her feel safe which was a huge relief and helped to put her at ease. Looking away from the movie, she saw Angel looking at her with a grin; making her blush slightly and roll her eyes at her friend. She knew that Angel will tease and coo at her and Sans whenever they hang out with each other, but at the same time she loved it. She was excited for their first date and she kept trying to keep herself from guessing where he was going to take her. She doesn’t feel worried or stressed about the date: fearing that she might hate where Sans’ll take her. Sans knows her hobbies and what she likes to do for fun; she trusts him to take her somewhere that they’ll both have fun

Turning her attention back to the movie, she snuggled in deeper against Sans’ side, smiling when he squeezed her lightly. The rest of the day was filled with hot chocolate, snowball fights and watching movies. Sadly, everyone began packing up and heading out as it neared dinner. Alphys and Undyne were the first to leave, in which Undyne explained that she had promised Alphys a romantic dinner at home with just the two of them. Angel and Juliette began packing up as well, thanking Toriel and Asgore for the garbage bags for all of their gifts. As she was packing, Juliette squeaked when she was suddenly lifted off her feet and was sat down on Sans’ lap, making her new boyfriend chuckle and grin down at her.

“Good to see I can _sweep_ you off your feet.”He said, nodding over towards the kitchen where Toriel was sweeping.

“Sans! That was horrible.”Juliette laughed, making the skeleton chuckle.

“You loved it.”He said, making the woman roll her eyes.

“…Perhaps.”She said, squealing when his fingers ran down her ribs.

Her eyes widened when Sans’ eyes gained a rather devious gleam. Without warning, she found herself pinned to the couch by the skeleton and was soon squealing and laughing as he tickled her mercilessly. Toriel looked up from her sweeping and covered her mouth as she watched Juliette struggle to get away from Sans, tears in her eyes and her glasses tilted strangely on her face from rolling around on the couch trying to wriggle out from underneath him. Angel, Papyrus and Frisk were drawn downstairs by the sounds of Juliette’s laughter and cries for mercy, in which Angel promptly started laughing when she saw her friend while Papyrus shook his head with a smile. Frisk laughed silently, his eyes glimmering as Sans finally took pity on his girlfriend and he stopped tickling her. Juliette panted on the couch, her face flushed as she shakily wiped the tears of laughter from her cheeks and eyes.

“Y-You’re h-horrible!”She gasped, a wide smile on her face as Sans smirked.

“So?”

Instead of answering, Juliette stuck her tongue out at the skeleton before sitting up and running a hand through her hair in an attempt to put it back in order. She straightened her glasses, glaring playfully at Sans who simply continued to smirk at her. She finished packing up and Angel set her bag down by Juliette’s. Juliette first shadow-walked with their bags to their apartment where she dropped them off in the living room. She then picked up Shade, after Angel managed to wrap a bandana around her dog’s eyes. Shade struggled during this, but fell still when Juliette picked him up. She shadow-walked with Shade in her arms and carefully set down the German Shepard before removing his makeshift blindfold. He shook slightly, looking around fearfully until he saw that he’s back in the apartment. To her relief, Shade recovered quickly and soon wandered over to Trixie where she was lying on the sectional.

She headed back to Toriel’s once more where she and Angel said their goodbyes to Toriel, Asgore, Frisk, Sans and Papyrus. They both thanked Toriel and Asgore for having them, to which the pair smiled and reminded them that they’re always welcomed in the house. Papyrus eagerly hugged both of them, promising to call and spend time with them both. Sans hugged Angel before turning to Juliette and pulling her outside. Juliette blinked before she smiled as Sans pulled her close. She happily burrowed against his chest, wrapping her arms around him as he held her close. Sans lightly nuzzled his face into Juliette’s hair, smiling softly as he felt his and Juliette’s magic humming in sync. When she tilted her head up, he pulled back slightly and leaned down, pressing his teeth against her lips in a gentle kiss goodbye. All he wanted was to continue to spend time with her; laze around the house and watch movies or just some random show on T.V. with her curled up against him. However, he knew that they both have things to do.

Pulling away from Juliette, he grinned widely when he saw the dazed look in her eyes. His low chuckle made her shake her head and blush. Juliette cleared her throat and leaned up, kissing Sans’ cheekbone and delighting in the faint blue blush that dusted his cheekbones. They finally headed back into the house where they said their final goodbyes. Angel took Juliette’s hand tightly once more and shadow-walked both of them back to their apartment. Back at the apartment, Juliette and Angel opened Shade and Trixie’s presents for them and smiled and laughed when their companions happily went from toy to toy; unable to decide which they wanted to stick with. They also treated their four-legged companions to their special wet food for dinner while they worked together to make homemade pizza. While the pizza cooked in the oven, Juliette opened the gifts she had gotten from Angel’s parents; smiling when she saw they had gotten her new shirts and a few new CD’s that she hadn’t gotten from the others.

“I gotta say, it’s been a great Christmas.”Angel said, smiling as she carried her things into her room.

“Yeah, one of the best ones yet.”Juliette agreed, smiling happily as she cleaned up the wrapping paper and gathered her presents.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

The day after Christmas Juliette shadow-walked to her cabin in the Upper Peninsula to check it over and see about any repairs she might need to make. She had gotten a call from one of the rangers in the area who had gone there to check it over. Apparently the place was in the same condition as she and Angel had left it earlier in the year. Stepping out of the void, she was soon standing in a rather quaint living room. The living room is a decent size, large enough for a couch, a pull-out loveseat and a recliner. The stone fireplace sat against one of the walls and had a nice flat screen T.V. hanging on the mantel. The walls and floors are all made of wood with thick rugs spread out on the floors. An archway led to the kitchen and dining room and through there is a door that led to the screened in porch which has a few couches and a table so they could eat outside. There’s a small hallway which leads to the main bathroom and the ‘master’ bedroom which has a small closet and a queen sized bed. There’s also a ladder that leads up to the upper loft.

Up in the loft are two full sized beds on either side of the small hallway which leads into a large room which had been turned into a large bedroom with four twin sized beds and two large dressers. The entire cabin has central air and heating, to which she was grateful for. Her uncle had done a lot of renovating when he had inherited the cabin from his parents and it was those renovations that had kept the cabin in such good condition. Through the large living room windows, Juliette spotted the two car garage and the sprawling back yard. There’s a fire pit about ten feet away from both buildings and far away from the trees so there’s no fear of anything catching fire.

Moving through the cabin, she moved through to the kitchen/dining room and walked out onto the porch. About twenty feet away from the gravel driveway is a stunning lake. It wasn’t surprising that the lake had frozen over, nor was it surprising for her to see snowmobile tracks in the snow on the lake. She snagged one of the thick coats in the small closet in the hallway back inside before heading outside and into the cold. She walked around the property, ensuring that everything was still locked up and nothing had been tampered with. She found evidence that someone had used the fire pit and someone had tried to get inside, but had quickly given up thankfully. The garage and shed are still locked and hadn’t been opened and the cellar hatch was still padlocked. She pulled the keys out of her pocket and unlocked the padlock. The light flickered on after a few seconds as she flipped the switch before she headed down the stone steps.

The cellar is pretty large and filled with the pipes and generator for the cabin. There were plenty boxes of things from her great-grandparents and a few things that had belonged to her mother and uncle from when they had been children. She checked over the pipes, ensuring that they hadn’t frozen over and then checked the generator to ensure it hadn’t been damaged. After completing her checks, she turned off the light and locked the cellar back up. Back inside, she checked the fridge and what was stocked in the small pantry and closets to see what she and Angel will need to buy before they come here with their friends. The cabin was their little piece of paradise; where they went to get away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives and just relax and surround themselves with nature. They often pitched a tent in the backyard or even just spread out sleeping bags so they can just lay back and watch the stars.

Juliette inspected the ladder leading up to the loft and examined the beds and sheets. She made up her mind to wash the sheets, blankets and pillow cases before deciding that it’s time to replace all the pillows and buy new bedspreads and even some mattress pads. She had replaced the mattresses two years ago so they were still good but she wanted to provide some more comfort. With everything checked over and locked up, she shadow-walked back to the apartment and wrote up a shopping list as she answered Angel’s questions about the cabin and what they needed. Angel was more than happy with the idea of another shopping trip and she was rather eager about getting to go back to the cabin. While it won’t be warm enough to do too much, they’d still be able to hang out around the fire pit and perhaps walk some of the trails in the forest behind the house and around the lake.

The rest of the day was spent shopping and shadow-traveling with the new bedding and pillows to the cabin. Angel came along of course and they tossed out the old sheets and towels and pillows. The new things were piled into the closets so they could set everything up when it was closer to the time for the trip. In the morning, Juliette finally received a text from Sans telling her to dress comfortable and casual. He also mentioned that they’d be out for most of the day, which made her smile and eagerly respond by asking him what he had planned. Of course he refused to tell her which made her even more excited and curious as to what her boyfriend has planned for their date. Angel, deciding that she didn’t want to be alone and that Papyrus would be alone after work, decided to text the younger brother and make plans for a day out of their own. They made plans to head to the bowling alley and watch a few movies at the apartment.

Juliette was nervous all day and went through all of her clothing in her closet. Angel eventually stepped in and calmed the smaller woman down. She reminded Juliette that this is _Sans_ the lazy monster who doesn’t wake up before noon normally and seems to constantly wear the same clothes everyday which made them all believe that he has the same kind of shorts every day. Angel told her that Sans wouldn’t care what she wore; that he’s more interested in being with her rather than what she looks like. Thankfully, that put Juliette at ease and she decided to lay out a pair of jeans, one of her Harry Potter shirts and her Legend of Zelda hoodie. Angel approved of the outfit and dragged Juliette out to the living room to play Super Smash Brothers with her, to which they were soon screaming and jeering at each other. They only quieted down when their neighbor from next door knocked on the door and asked that they keep it down. They sheepishly apologized and smiled guiltily at the man, but he laughed and waved off their apologies before walking away.

The next morning Juliette woke up around ten and hurried through a shower. After her shower, she debated on wearing makeup; looking at her eye as she did so. However, she decided to forgo covering up her scar and instead finished drying off and brushed her hair before donning her clothing. She joined Angel for breakfast where they talked about New Years and the fact that Papyrus was already hoping to host the New Years party at his and Sans’ place. Papyrus had called them the day before not long after they ate dinner and explained that he and Sans wanted to throw the party, which was a pretty fun idea. Apparently Toriel, Asgore and Frisk were onboard with the idea though Alphys and Undyne were uncertain about it. They weren’t sure if they wanted to spend the holiday alone or with friends so they promised to get back with the younger brother soon with their answer. All of them were hoping that Undyne and Alphys would come to the party as Papyrus had talked about getting fireworks and sparklers for their first celebration of the holiday.

After breakfast, the pair took Shade on a walk around the complex and played with him in the dog run to wear the dog out. Back in the apartment, Angel kept Juliette preoccupied by playing video games with her and making plans to meet up with their other friends. By the time noon came around, Juliette was shocked at the time and nearly jumped when someone knocked at the door. Swallowing nervously, she smoothed the front of her hoodie as Angel walked over to the door and answered it grinning when she saw Sans standing there with his hands in his pockets. He had obviously made an effort as he’s wearing jeans instead of his shorts and, once again, his shoes weren’t too badly scuffed. Juliette smiled at Sans as she slipped on her shoes, She snagged her keys and wallet before slipping them into her pockets along with her phone.

“Hey, babe.”Sans said, his grin turning into a smile as he took Juliette’s hand and pressed it against his teeth.

“Hey.”Juliette said, her voice soft as she blushed at the nickname and action.

“Have fun you two!”Angel laughed, making her friend blush harder as Sans chuckled and grinned.

“Will do.”Sans laughed, leading Juliette out of the apartment and down the stairs as Angel closed the door behind them.

Juliette smiled as Sans intertwined their fingers; lightly squeezing his hand affectionately. They headed towards a secluded section of the parking lot and Juliette realized that they were going to be teleporting instead of driving. She didn’t mind honestly, since this would let them have more time to just hang out and instead of having to drive everywhere. Stepping into the secluded area, Sans simply pulled her close until she was pressed to his chest. She gasped at the sudden movement but smiled and curled her arms around him and hung on as Sans wrapped his arms around her and his magic surrounded them. The world ‘blinked’ out around them and the familiar feeling of traveling through the void washed over her. It was over in a few seconds and she blinked before looking around. Her eyes widened when she saw that they were outside of an arcade in Novi. Smiling brightly, she eagerly grabbed Sans’ hand and pulled him into the building, making the skeleton laugh at her excitement.

Inside the arcade, Sans handed Juliette a twenty, which she tried to hand back but he was adamant that he pay for her tokens. Juliette huffed slightly before accepting the money and nearly running to one of the machines to make the exchange. Sans smiled and followed her, turning his twenty into tokens. They then browsed through the various games and ended up playing for a good three hours. Of course they had run out of tokens and this time Juliette got Sans to relent and agree to letting her donate the money for more tokens instead of him paying once more. They had a wonderful time competing against each other and earning tickets and just generally having a great time hanging out and spending time alone together. Of course there were other people inside the building they were getting some curious and dirty looks, but they ignored the stares and frowns; focusing on each other instead.

After playing to their hearts content, they took their tickets up to the prize counter. Juliette looked over the various selections of prizes before she caught sight of a beautiful, large stuffed snow leopard. Sans glanced at Juliette before looking to where she was staring. His grin widened slightly when he saw the snow leopard before quickly mentally adding up the total sum of their tickets. It was just enough to get the snow leopard so he gently took her tickets and set them down on the counter before adding his own on top.

“The snow leopard, please.”He said, the woman behind the counter blinking before she smiled.

She quickly used a nearby calculator to add up their tickets while Juliette looked at Sans with a small frown.

“Sans, don’t you want anything? That snow leopard is _all_ of our tickets.”She said, watching as the skeleton shrugged lightly with a grin.

“I wanna get it for you. Something to remember our first date.”He said, watching as Juliette blinked before she blushed and leaned against him with a small smile.

The attendant walked over and used a stool to get the large stuffed animal off of the shelf. Handing the snow leopard over, she smiled as Juliette took it and hugged it tightly, hiding her smile in the white and black spotted fur. She happily took Sans’ hand and they walked out of the arcade before walking to a nearby restaurant where they had lunch. While they ate Juliette talked about her life with her uncle more and told plenty of funny stories about her and her other friends; Sans laughing as he listened. In return, he told her more about what his life in the Underground had been like. She laughed when he told her about being a sentry and how Undyne often complained about him being the laziest sentry she ever had. He talked about the different crazy puzzles Papyrus had come up with in an attempt to thwart Frisk on his journey through the underground. They had a lot of fun just talking and laughing and getting to know each other more.

Leaving the restaurant, Sans led her to another secluded area and teleported them to the Twelve Oaks Mall. Walking around the mall, they talked and pointed out different things to each other. Juliette pulled Sans into the toy store, making him grin as he looked around. He ended up getting something small for Papyrus and Frisk, while Juliette just wandered around looking at anything new the store had brought in. After checking out, they wandered to Hot Topic, in which she blushed when she saw Sans’ eyes drift over some of the…more revealing articles of clothing on display. What made her blush even harder was when a faint blush rose to Sans’ cheeks as he glanced at her and back towards a dark blue and black lace lingerie that was on display. Instead of saying anything, he led her over to the tee-shirt wall and looked a few of them over, asking her questions about some of the things that were on the shirts. She happily told him about Sailor Moon, Pokémon, some of the different movies and the various bands as well.

“I should thank Angel for that MP3 player and the music she downloaded for me.”Sans said, picking up a shirt from the shelf and looking it over.

“Oh?”Juliette asked, smiling as she found a Harry Potter shirt she didn’t have already.

“Mhm. She could apparently tell that I don’t care for rap. I tried listening to a song but…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a fan of rap either. Country, Pop, Alternative and a few others I like, including classical. I’ve also got some Celtic music as well.”Juliette said, Sans looking at her with interest.

“Sounds good. Any bands you recommend?”He asked, making Juliette smile warmly at him.

“When we’re done here at the mall we can head back to my place and I’ll have you listen to some bands. That way you can judge if you want to download them when you head home.”She offered, Sans’ eyes lighting up in happiness.

“Sounds good, babe.”He said, his grin widening at the faint blush the nickname brought to her cheeks.

Paying for the few shirts and CD’s they had found, they set out exploring the mall once more. Of course they headed into the bookstore and Juliette ended up getting several new mangas while Sans found six books which were a mixture of science and joke books though he found a few Science Fiction books that looked pretty interesting to him. After that, they stopped and bought some ice crème, though both of them were slightly putout that they couldn’t hold hands since they have to carry their bags and Juliette still has the stuffed animal. As they walked and ate their treat, they smiled and the number of monsters wandering around though they also scowled when they saw plenty of people sneering at them or looking skittish and giving monsters a wide berth. They forced this from their minds, instead wanting to focus on their time together and enjoy themselves.

They stopped at a few more places and Juliette bought Sans the first two seasons of Eureka, which she thought he might enjoy. As they finished shopping, Juliette’s eyes widened in happiness when she saw a photo booth. She happily led Sans over to it, explaining what it did and how it would a perfect end to their first date. Sans happily agreed, glad that he’d have something else to remind himself of the great time he’s been having. They managed to squeeze into the booth and set their bags down on the floor of the booth. Sans dug through his wallet and pulled out the five dollars for the pictures. Shifting in their seats, they looked at the screen and smiled, though with the next couple of pictures they made funny faces and were laughing at each other. However, for the last picture Sans turned his head and kissed Juliette, making the woman blush softly just as the camera clicked and took the picture. Juliette giggled as she pulled away from the kiss, her cheeks a dark pink as she collected her things while Sans grinned and grabbed his own bags.

Outside the booth Juliette grabbed the two photo strips and handed one to Sans. His grin changed to a smile before he carefully tucked the photo strip between two of his books; Juliette doing the same. They headed back outside and Sans teleported them back to the apartment. Angel was gone and Juliette hurriedly put her things away in her room before snagging her laptop and bringing it and the charger out to the living room. They sat on the sectional and Juliette booted up her laptop. It wasn’t long before they were both listening to various bands and songs. Juliette soon learned that classical music put Sans at ease and helped him relax, almost to the point where he looked as if he could fall asleep. Country, Celtic and Pop were his favorites, though he also liked a few Alternative bands as well like Panic! at the Disco and Paramore. He didn’t like Metal too much, but some of the bands he didn’t really mind.

Sans ended up staying for dinner, which Juliette made for them. As they ate they watched a movie on the couch and were soon cuddling as soon as they finished eating. They were soon watching a second movie and Juliette blinked when, after twenty minutes, she noticed that San’s breathing had deepened. Lifting her head, she smiled when she saw that Sans had fallen asleep. His mouth was relaxed and air escaped from between the small gaps in his teeth. Shifting carefully, she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of him, smiling warmly as she saved the picture as Sans’ caller I.D. She rested her head back on his chest and continued watching the movie. When it ended, she finally moved away from Sans, making the skeleton blink and wake up.

“Sorry ‘bout that, babe.”He said, pulling her back into his arms.

“It’s okay, Sans. I kinda figured that you were tired.”She said, smiling as she looked up at him.

“What time is it?”He asked, watching as Juliette pulled out her phone and looked at the time.

“Eight.”

“Damn. I should get home. I promised Frisk that I’d help him with his science project in the mornin’.”Sans groaned, making Juliette smile.

“Well, you can’t disappoint, Frisk.”She said, Sans chuckling as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Nope. C’mon, walk me to the door.”He said, nudging Juliette until she stood and stretched.

Her back and two of her ribs popped, making Sans wince and look at her with some worry. She instantly realized that for him, the sound of bones cracking would be a concern instead of bring relief like it did to humans. She smiled sheepishly and brushed a strand of hair away from her face as Sans bent down and collected his bags, though he kept eyeing her with some concern.

“Don’t worry. That was my bones and joints shifting back into place. Sorry.”She said, Sans shrugging lightly.

“So long as you’re alright ‘s fine. Just a little weird hearing your bones pop when I’m made of bones.”He said, Juliette nodding in understanding.

She walked Sans to the door and unlocked it before holding it open for him. Sans shifted slightly, his eye flaring cyan as his magic grabbed the bags so his hands were free. Juliette instantly realized what he was doing and smiled shyly at him as she wound her arms around his shoulders after leaning up. Sans’ hands went to her waist and he leaned down, kissing her gently. Juliette sighed into the kiss, melting against him as she smiled against his teeth. This was the perfect end to a perfect date. They had done things that they had both enjoyed and both of them had gotten to know each other even more during their date.

“I had a great time, Sans.”She said, opening her eyes as they pulled away from each other.

“Me too.”Sans said, grinning as he shoved his hands in his pockets again.

“…I’d like to do this again…if you want.”She said, shifting slightly as Sans blinked before chuckling softly.

“Babe, I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want to see you again.”He said, making the dark haired woman look at him with a bright smile.

“So…we’re official?”She asked, the hope in her voice making Sans’ grin turn to a smile.

“Of course we’re official. You’re my girl.”He said, affection in his voice as Juliette beamed at him even as a blush spread across her cheeks once more.

“I’m glad.”She said, leaning up and kissing his cheek.

“Well, I’ll text you later tonight before bed. Take care.”Sans said, blushing faintly himself as Juliette nodded happily.

“Bye, Sans and thanks again for a great time.”She said, Sans nodding as he grabbed his bags while canceling his magic.

Juliette waited until Sans teleported away before closing the door. A goofy smile spread across her lips as her mind replayed her date with Sans. She nearly skipped to her room where she happily unloaded the bags and put everything away. The photo strip was placed on the edge of the picture frame of her and Angel on the bedside table while her new snow leopard was played on her bed for her to cuddle with at night. A minute after she finished unpacking everything she heard the front door open and she eagerly hurried out of her bedroom and smiled brightly when she saw Angel pulling off her coat. Angel blinked when she saw Juliette, though she grinned when her friend eagerly hugged her before pulling her towards her room.

“I take it your first date was good?”She teased, laughing as Juliette looked back at her.

“You have no idea!”

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	8. Advice, New Year’s Celebrations and Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own the character from Undertale. They belong to the talented Toby Fox and those who helped him create his wonderful game. I only own the plot and original characters.
> 
> Warnings: Post-Pacifist, Male!Frisk, Mute!Frisk, swearing, fighting, angst and fluff, past abuse, same gender relationships, monsterphobia, racism, blood, some gore, sexual themes(later in the story), many OC’s, main character is an OFC.
> 
> Pairings: Sans/Juliette(OFC), Papyrus/Angel(OFC), Undyne/Alphys
> 
> Author’s Note: Chapter eight!!!!! Yay!!! I am sooo sorry for the massive delay in this chapter. As many of you might have seen, I got caught up in Emerald Blade and had so much inspiration for that, that Heart and Soul got put on the back burner. However, now I’m back to this and should get chapters out once more! I am so happy with all the positive feedback I’ve been getting for this story, especially to those of you who have stuck around since the first chapter. Anyway, Juliette and Sans are finally together! They’ve finally plucked up the courage to do something about their feelings…well Jules did at least. Angel and Papyrus won’t be getting together for a few more chapters, but it will happen soon! Right now Angel is only just realizing that she might, might feel something more than friendship for the tall skeleton. Anyway, for those of you who might be wondering, Sans is five foot six and Juliette is five foot two. I didn’t want Sans to be too short but I didn’t want him to be too tall either. So, I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

-Thoughts-

_ Text _

_[Signing]_

_Emphasis on words_

 

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During the time leading up to New Years, Juliette and Sans spent more and more time together. Of course they still hung out with their friends and Angel and Papyrus were included in plenty of plans. Angel and Papyrus also compared notes on the changes in Sans and Juliette. There was a noticeable change in their attitudes: both of them are much happier and carefree. Juliette is still shy and Sans made her blush rather easily but she never really balked at his displays of affection. Papyrus was pleased that his older brother was getting up before noon, especially whenever he and Juliette have a date or wanted to hang out together. Sadly he hasn’t improved too much in doing chores and his room is still a disaster. Angel and Juliette’s other friends noticed the difference as well. She was much more relaxed and just happier in general. When their friend Alyssa asked Juliette what was up, the dark haired girl blushed and smiled brightly before showing them a picture of Sans and her on her phone while admitting that they were dating. Their friends were surprised to say the least, as they hadn’t thought Juliette would be comfortable enough to be in another relationship but they were more than happy for her.

Plans for New Years were confirmed to take place at Sans and Papyrus’ house. All of them were going to be bringing a dish for dinner with Papyrus making his famous spaghetti for them. Juliette had managed to convince Sans to make a dessert for the party as well, much to his displeasure since it meant he’d have to get up and bake instead of lazing around. However, he wasn’t able to resist her pout and coupled with what Angel called Juliette’s puppy-dog eyes. She had learned of his excellent cooking skills during one of their dates. He had taken her to a small diner for dinner and both of them had been disgusted when their meals had arrived. His own meal had been burnt to a crisp while Juliette’s was undercooked. They had complained to the waitress and simply left and Sans took her back to his and Papyrus’ house where he made her dinner and dessert. She had been in awe over his cooking skills and her compliments had him blushing.

Alphys and Undyne finally decided that they’ll manage to make it to the party though they’ll be a little late since they’re planning on going on a date beforehand. All of them were glad that the pair could make it, even more so since this will be the first time Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys will see fireworks. Angel and Juliette were planning on bringing some fireworks of their own along with some poppers. Whenever Juliette got together with Sans in the days leading up to the new year she was happily explaining a few things to her boyfriend. He was curious about fireworks and how they were made, in which she actually did her research so she was better able to explain the science behind fireworks and the differences in the different types.

It was a few days before New Years when Juliette found out something about Asgore. She had decided to visit the kindly former King at his shop one morning and was rather surprised when she entered the store. The few other employees Asgore had hired were stocking the shelves and pruning some of the flowers, though they all looked up and smiled at her when she walked into the store. She smiled back and headed towards the front counter where Asgore was setting up a new arrangement. Asgore looked up as she approached and smiled warmly when he saw her. He quickly finished the arrangement before removing the gloves he’s wearing. One employee walked over and took the vase over to one of the shelves, though Juliette blinked when Asgore walked out from behind the counter.

“Could I speak with you privately, Juliette?” He asked, making the young woman raise an eyebrow.

“Of course.” She said, following the large monster towards the back of the store and through the employee’s only door.

Asgore led her down a small hallway and through a door which was marked as his office. Looking around the office, Juliette smiled when she saw handmade drawings that Frisk had made hanging on the walls in frames. However, what really caught her eye was an old and slightly faded picture of a young girl who looked a lot like Frisk standing next to a small goat monster who bore a remarkable resemblance of both Toriel and Asgore. She and Angel had been told by Sans and Alphys that Toriel and Asgore had once been a couple. However, they had split apart long before Frisk had entered the underground. Neither of them explained why the pair had split up, but Juliette had a strong feeling that the picture of the two children was one of the reasons.

Focusing on Asgore, she sat down in the chair in front of his desk as he moved behind it and sat down in a large and rather comfortable computer chair. She waited for him to get settled and felt the air grow heavy as the former king shifted and refused to meet her gaze. She had a feeling that she was about to learn something huge, something that Asgore was afraid of telling her.

“I…I need your help, Juliette.” He said, his voice soft and defeated as the woman looked at him.

“What do you mean? Is something wrong?” She asked, watching as the former king sighed deeply.

“What I’m about to tell you…it’s a long and hard story. However, I wouldn’t feel right in not telling you the whole truth about myself and…and Toriel. You and Angel have become so close to us, Frisk and the others. It’s impossible to think of either of you not being in our lives at this point. All I ask is that you let me explain everything.” He said, lifting his head and looking at her.

“Of course.” She said, determination in her voice.

Asgore’s voice was soft as he began his tale. He told Juliette _everything_ ; about his and Toriel’s son Asriel and the first human: Chara. He talked about how Chara died and then Asriel died as well because of humans; about his and Alphys’ attempts to bring Asriel back but it went all wrong. He explained that he or Undyne had killed the other children who had fallen into the underground and got close enough to the capital. How Toriel was devastated by the deaths of Asriel and Chara but remained by his side until she discovered what he was doing by collecting the souls of the other fallen children. Juliette was shocked and horrified in learning that some of the children had even killed a few monsters but they had just been responding to being attacked. She listened as Asgore told her about his battle against Frisk and how it was Frisk’s mercy and determination that made him finally realize what he was doing was wrong. He talked about how he swore to never harm another child or person again and that Toriel had only given him a small fraction of a chance thanks to Frisk.

Asgore nearly broke down as he poured his heart and soul out to Juliette; telling her that he struggles with himself daily because he still loves Toriel and yet he knows she’ll never give him another chance. Juliette understood why Toriel was closed off from her former husband. It was terrifying that Asgore and Undyne had killed children, but at the same time a small part of her understood. Asgore was looking out for his subjects: his people. He was doing what he thought was right. She gingerly asked him about why he needed so many souls, in which he explained how powerful human souls are and that he had thought he needed seven souls in order to fully shatter the barrier and either reclaim what had been taken from them from the humans or to fully close off the underground so no more humans could enter. Again, this made her understand his plight. She understood that he wants another chance with Toriel but he doesn’t know how to make her understand that what he had done, he regrets with his entire being.

-This isn’t going to be an easy task. They’re both stubborn.- She thought, running a hand through her hair.

“I think…I think you and Tori need to start over.”

“Start over?” Asgore asked, frowning lightly as Juliette nodded.

“Start your relationship over _completely._ I’m not talking about just going on a few dates and hoping to repair things. I’m talking about acting as if you two are just meeting for the first time. You swear up and down that you’ve changed and Frisk can confirm this. However, Toriel is still stuck in the past. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, let along two children; of which you had adopted with your entire heart. You both need closure when it comes to your son as well. I think laying him to rest, even if it is an empty coffin, would help a lot. Having graves for the other children, including Chara would help in the long run.” Juliette began, Asgore nodding his head as he hung onto her every word.

“Tell Toriel what you want to do. Explain everything to her; including on how you thought you had been doing the best thing for your people. Tell her, again, that you understand what you’ve done wrong and how truly sorry you are. Take her back to the underground for the burials, take Frisk even. Ask her if she would be willing to try and start over. Tell her what you intend to do: explain that you want to start over completely from the beginning from introducing yourself to asking permission to…court her. Take it slow, don’t rush her or yourself. You need to take small steps with a process like this. I also think it might be a good idea if you speak to someone you trust about the guilt you’re carrying around. Myself and Angel not included.

“We’re still learning about the differences between monster and human cultures. I suggest either Alphys or even Papyrus to confide in. Suggest this to Toriel as well since this is also about her. I know she’s carrying some guilt and hurt from what happened back then. You’re both doing well in your lives and I can tell you still love Tori deeply and it’s hurting you that she hardly acknowledges you. Just don’t give up hope. She may balk at this or even refuse when you first mention this. However, just ask her to consider your proposal and walk away. Don’t pester her about it. Let her come to her own decision and approach you.” Juliette explained, smiling gently as Asgore looked at her with surprise and understanding.

She leaned back and watched as Asgore appeared to think over her suggestions for a few minutes before he nodded lightly.

“You’re right; about everything. The burial will help put the past to rest and help us both to move on. Starting anew will also allow us to reconnect should Toriel give me the chance.” He said, Juliette smiling softly as she nodded.

“Thank you, Juliette, for listening to me and for not running when you learned the truth.” He said, watching as the woman scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Asgore, you said yourself that you realized your mistakes and you regret them. That is what matters. The past is behind us and has helped us to become who we are today. You’re a good man, Asgore. If you weren’t then Frisk and the others wouldn’t have allowed you to leave the underground and wouldn’t be this close to you.” Juliette said, her voice firm as Asgore smiled softly.

“Again, thank you. Was there anything you needed?” He asked, watching as Juliette blinked before she shrugged lightly.

“I just wanted to see where you worked. I’ve never been in the shop before.” She said, smiling as Asgore blinked before he chuckled softly.

“Well then I won’t monopolize your time any longer. Come.” He said, making Juliette roll her eyes but her smile never faded.

She followed Asgore through the hallway once more and back to the main floor of the shop. He headed back to the counter while she decided to wander through the shop. There were plenty of common and some uncommon flowers that she was familiar with. However, she was surprised to see several flowers that only grow in the Underground; one of which is an echo flower. The blue colored flower was stunning to look at and the card describing what they did had her enthralled. The flower is capable to repeating back whatever was last said a few feet around it. Sans and Frisk had mentioned the flowers in passing, but she had never really thought that she’d ever see one unless she somehow visited the underground. Moving down the aisle, she also saw flowers that are white in color though acted like small night lights when in a dark room. Wanting to test this, she gently cupped one of the smaller blossoms in her hands and peered through her fingers, her eyes widening when she saw that, yes, they do indeed glow.

One of the employees walked over and happily answered her questions about some of the flowers and even explained that Asgore uses a special fertilizer which has magical ingredients when growing his flowers. The fertilizer allows the flowers to live longer and their fragrance always lasts long as well. By the time Juliette was ready to leave, she had decided to buy a potted echo flower and a pot of Lily of the Valleys. She absolutely loved the scent that the small, delicate flowers gave off and her uncle had them in the garden when she had been living with him. Thanking the employee for his help, she carried the two pots up to the counter and smiled when Asgore blinked and beamed at her. He happily rang up her purchases and thanked her once more, though she waved his thanks away.

“We’re friends, Asgore. It’s what we do.” She said, smiling warmly at the tall monster.

Paying for her plants, she promised to talk to him soon before heading out. She headed to a secluded alley and, after making sure that no one was nearby or watching her, shadow-walked back to the apartment. Angel was surprised to see the plants, though she was enthralled with the echo flower and had a lot of fun testing it out. Juliette suggested that they keep it on the entertainment stand in case they ever need to leave each other or themselves reminders before and after they leave the apartment. She put the Lily of the Valley’s in her room and set them down on the desk she had gotten a little before Christmas. She had finally decided to have an ‘official’ place to put her laptop and games and was also debating on getting a desktop for some of her larger games. Angel was only encouraging her to do this since she did most of her writing on her laptop. Setting the pot down, Juliette smiled and headed out of her room.

“So, what’s up?” Angel asked, plopping down on the sectional as Juliette walked into the living room.

“I talked to Asgore. He asked for my advice.” Juliette said, watching as her friend blinked and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

Juliette sighed and told Angel everything that Asgore had told her. Angel listened with rapt attention, her eyes widening the longer Juliette talked. She could hardly believe that Asgore; kind, protective and understanding Asgore, had killed so many children. However, she also made the connection that he had only been doing what he thought was right for his people and kingdom. She agreed wholeheartedly with what Juliette had told Asgore on how he could slowly make amends with Toriel and perhaps even have a chance in having her as a part of his life besides a friend or landlady. She was glad that Juliette had suggested the burials and knew that it would help in the long run in patching everything up and helping Toriel and Asgore move on and find closure about their son’s death.

“We both know that our friends are powerful. Hell we’ve seen Papyrus and Undyne train together during Christmas. I bet Sans is downright terrifying when it comes to battling; same with you.” Angel said, Juliette nodding lightly.

“Frisk told us that some of the powers of our friends are terrifyingly powerful. It’s rather surprising that such a young kid faced down all those monsters and made it out by befriending them.” Juliette said, shuddering lightly.

“But at the same time he’s done a world of good by doing so. Alphys and other scientist who are monsters have developed so many new medicines and treatments for diseases. Not only that but we have a better understanding of so many things we never understood before.” Angel said, smiling as Juliette chuckled softly and nodded in agreement.

Juliette blinked when her ringtone for Sans went off, making Angel laugh when Pontoon by Little Big Town started playing. Juliette stuck her tongue out at the redhead before picking up her phone and unlocking the screen. She smiled when she saw that it was a text from the skeleton, along with a picture of a row of different fireworks.

Sansy-boy: _Which ones are the best?_

Juliette: _I think you should get the pack of different fireworks. More of a selection. Angel and I are heading out tomorrow morning to buy some more._

Sansy-boy: _Alright. Don’t forget your jacket this time._

Juliette: _But I love your hoodie!_

Sansy-boy: _Can’t always be stealin’ my hoodie babe._

Juliette: _It’s not stealing! It’s just…borrowing without telling…_

Sansy-boy: _ Right; whatever you say baby girl_

Juliette: _Good! You’re learning!_

Angel began laughing hysterically as she read Juliette’s conversation with Sans over her friend’s shoulder. She was glad that Juliette was becoming more relaxed and confident thanks to her relationship with Sans. It was one of the many reasons why she approved of their relationship and hadn’t fully threatened him yet. Oh, she knew she would never pose a threat to the skeleton, especially given his powers. However, she still needs to give Sans the ‘you hurt her I hurt you’ speech at some point. It was her duty since Juliette’s uncle had passed. She knows that Sans won’t purposely hurt Juliette and that her friend can handle herself, but still. Shaking her head, she grinned as Juliette stuck her tongue out at her again, chuckling softly as Juliette turned so she wouldn’t be able to read over her friend’s shoulder.

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New Year’s Eve arrived and Juliette was hard at work making a fruit salad while Angel made cheesy mashed potatoes. Both of them were also planning on going to a small party with their other friends, though they’d be leaving as it got closer to when they’ll need to head to Papyrus and Sans’ house. Once the food was made and stored in the fridge, they took Shade out for a long walk before ensuring that both of their companions were fed and watered. After that was done, they drove to Sydney’s house; picking up chips and dip for the party. All of their friends were happy that they had made it, in which plenty of questions were asked and some complaints were made that they wouldn’t be able to stay to see the fireworks. Sydney, a rather pretty brunette with blue/green eyes happily took the chips and dip and led the group back towards the enclosed back porch.

“So, how’s the restaurant and club going?” Dylan asked, sitting down on one of the many folding chairs.

“It’s good! Training is going great and Elliot will be taking over in finishing up the employees training while Angel and I go to the cabin.” Juliette explained, loading a paper plate with snacks.

“Good to hear. We should seriously do something when summer comes along.” Stacy said, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

“We will! Sometime during the summer we’ll all get together on the beach for a bonfire.” Angel said, the others smiling at the idea.

Conversation was light and amusing, especially when Dylan and Julian began talking about some of the more…idiotic coworkers that they have to deal with. All of them had a great time just catching up and finding out what the others were up to and how things were going. They learned that Sydney is nearing the end of her schooling to become a child psychologist while Alyssa finally found a job teaching Japanese in Novi Middle School. Dylan has finally found a job in game design while Julian has found a good place to set up his tattoo shop. Stacy is still attending art classes at the local college and is hoping to finish her degree for interior design within the next year or so. They asked Angel and Juliette plenty of questions about their other friends, in which there was also plenty of questions aimed at Juliette about her and Sans’ relationship.

Juliette flushed when Stacy and Sydney asked her about what it was like kissing Sans and if he was comfortable to cuddle with even though he’s a skeleton. Her face was bright red as Angel laughed and said that it seems like Sans is comfortable since she’s caught them cuddling often enough. Glaring at her friend, Juliette explained that, while it was slightly odd at first, she loved kissing Sans. Even though he doesn’t have lips in the common sense of the word, kissing him was still passionate and meaningful. Thankfully the girls stepped back from the embarrassing questions and instead asked plenty of questions about the others and what their monster friends did. Dylan was surprised that Undyne and Papyrus were trainers and he had a membership to Undyne’s gym though he hadn’t seen either of the two. Juliette and Dylan ended up making everyone burgers for lunch once everyone agreed that they were ready for some real food.

All of them were laughing and cracking jokes while reminiscing about their time in high school when things seemed a lot easier. Alyssa admitted that it was strange seeing some of her old teachers and working alongside them though she was glad that she hadn’t gotten a position in the high school; that would be even more awkward. All of them talked about their relationships, in which they were all happy that Alyssa had finally found herself a nice guy who is also a teacher though he works for one of the elementary schools. Dylan thanked Angel and Juliette for the tickets to Erebus as he and his girlfriend had ended up going with Alyssa, Sydney and their other friend Danny. The pair were glad that their others enjoyed their Halloween and had fun in Erebus. After they finished eating and just hanging around talking for a while longer, Juliette and Angel had to say their goodbyes. They promised to make plans to hang out with everyone sometime soon and their friends promised to be there on the opening night of Heart and Soul.

The pair headed back to their apartment and showered(Sydney and Julian smoke) before collecting the food they had made along with the fireworks they had bought for the evening. Heading off to Sans’ and Papyrus’, they weren’t really surprised to see that Toriel, Frisk and Asgore were already there. Papyrus was already at the door by the time they pulled into the driveway. He smiled brightly as they got out of the car and hurried forward to help them with the dishes they had brought.

“It’s _great_ to see you again!” He exclaimed, happily leading the way to the house.

“It’s good to see you too, Pap. How have you been?” Angel asked, smiling warmly at the tall skeleton.

“I’ve been _wonderful_! I’m so glad that everyone is able to come over for the fireworks!” Papyrus said, opening the door and holding it for the girls.

Frisk hurried over to them and eagerly hugged Angel and Juliette, his smile wide as he looked at them. He was rather excited about getting to stay up and see the fireworks; even more so since he’s having a sleepover with Papyrus. Toriel walked out of the kitchen and smiled warmly, hugging the two women before taking the plates from them and heading back into the kitchen. Looking around the living room, Juliette smiled when she saw her boyfriend lounging on the couch in front of the T.V. She happily toed off her shoes and shrugged off her coat before heading over to Sans. However, she blinked when she saw that he was lightly dozing instead of watching the program. Shaking her head fondly, she carefully eased herself onto the couch next to Sans before leaning against him. Sans groaned softly and shifted, though he didn’t wake up. Biting her lip to stop herself from giggling, she fully leaned against the dozing skeleton.

“Jules?” Angel asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning at her friend.

Juliette stuck her tongue out at Angel, though she blinked when Sans suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Looking up, she smiled when she saw Sans had cracked an eye open and was looking down at her with a lazy, sleepy grin.

“Did we wake you?” She asked, concern in her voice as Sans shook his head.

“Nah. Pap would’ve woken me up soon.” He said, his voice husky from sleep.

Juliette nodded and smiled as Angel plopped down on her other side. Sans asked them about their party with their friends and grinned as he learned about their other friends and how things were progressing in their lives. He admitted that he was rather interested in meeting the pair’s friends and he wouldn’t mind hanging out with the others. Angel eagerly reassured Sans that their friends are all friendly towards monsters, though they might be slightly awkward at first. Papyrus heard the tail end of their conversation and eagerly admitted that he’d love to meet Angel and Juliette’s other friends as well. It wasn’t long before Frisk walked into the room and quickly pulled up Super Smash Brothers, to which Papyrus and Angel eagerly grabbed controllers to play.

It was in the middle of the second round when Undyne and Alphys arrived. Juliette laughed as Undyne pulled her into a tight hug, which she wholeheartedly returned. Turning to look at Alphys, she happily hugged the other woman, though she paused when they pulled away from the hug. There, on one of Alphys’ ‘claws?’ was a beautiful diamond ring. Her eyes widened as Alphys blinked before she blushed heavily, the scales of her neck even turning a deep red color. Letting out a near ear splitting squeal, Juliette happily enveloped Alphys into another, tighter hug while bouncing up and down. Her squeal attracted the attention of the others, though Undyne was grinning from ear to ear; shockingly managing to put even Sans’ grin to shame.

“What?!” Angel asked, her eyes wide in alarm as Juliette released Alphys only to hug Undyne tightly.

“They’re engaged!” Juliette squealed, happiness in her voice and eyes as the others looked at the couple with wide eyes.

Alphys shyly held up her hand, the ring on her finger glinting in the light of the room. Angel squealed in happiness and hugged the smaller clementine monster. Toriel smiled brightly as Frisk hurried over and eagerly hugged Alphys as well. Everyone happily congratulated the couple before they began asking questions. They learned that today is actually Undyne and Alphys’ anniversary and Undyne had taken her girlfriend to a science museum and then to a nice restaurant for lunch. On a walk through one of the parks near their home, Undyne had dropped to one knee and proposed to Alphys. Alphys had been shocked and flustered of course, but she had eagerly and happily agreed to marry the redheaded warrior.

“Oh my gosh! That’s so sweet!” Juliette said, smiling brightly as Undyne wrapped an arm around her girl.

“Only the best for my girl!” Undyne said, grinning as Alphys blushed and ducked her head.

“W-We were wo-wondering if y-you two wo-would help us p-plan our wedding.” Alphys said, looking at Juliette and Angel who looked rather shocked at the idea.

“Really?!” Angel asked, her eyes wide as Undyne nodded.

“Of course! You two are our best friends besides these guys. Besides, it’d be cool to have a human-like wedding.” Undyne said, grinning widely as Angel and Juliette looked at each other.

“Alright!” They chorused, making the others laugh as Alphys and Undyne smiled.

Sans grinned as his girlfriend and Angel talked excitedly with Undyne and Alphys about the wedding and reception. He was so glad that his friends had come to think of the two women as a part of their group. Undyne had been…closed off at first and she had been more than hesitant to reach out to Angel and Juliette when he first told her about the two women. However things have improved so much since then and he’s overjoyed that all of them are so close now. Watching everyone talk and laugh, his grin changed to a smile, which grew when Juliette leaned against him and laced their hands together. He grinned down at her, his soul resonating in his chest as she rested her head on his upper arm. He was brought out of his musings when Undyne asked Papyrus if he’d stand with her at the altar, making his brother look at her with wide eyes.

“Y-You want _me_ to be by your side when you get married?!” Papyrus asked, his voice wrought with emotion as Undyne rolled her eyes.

“Well duh! You’re my _best_ friend, Pap! Of course I want you by my side.” Undyne said, laughing when Papyrus pulled her into a tight hug.

“I’d be _honored_ to stand with you!” He exclaimed, beaming as Undyne grinned at him.

“J-Juliette, Toriel, w-would you two make the dishes for the reception?” Alphys asked, smiling shyly at the pair.

“I would love to.” Toriel said, smiling warmly as Juliette beamed and nodded.

“Of course!” She agreed, making Alphys smile in happiness and relief.

“And Sans can make the wedding cake!” Undyne cheered, making said skeleton blink and look at her.

“Huh?!”

“You heard me nerd! Jules and Tori will be too busy preparing the dishes and you make excellent cakes as we all discovered.” Undyne said, smirking as Sans groaned and slouched.

“But that takes so much energy…” Sans groaned, sighing as Juliette and the others begged and pleaded with him to make the cake.

“Please, Sansy?” Juliette asked, leaning up and kissing the side of Sans’ skull.

“Awe man…that’s not fair babe.” Sans groaned, though his grin was wide as Juliette smiled innocently at him.

“ _Please_?”

“A’right, A’right. I’ll make the wedding cake.” Sans sighed, making Juliette cheer while the others laughed.

Undyne and Angel grinned; knowing that Sans would’ve given in at some point sooner or later. His soft spot is his friends though he easily gave in whenever Papyrus or Juliette asked him to do something. Of course he would balk and complain, but he would always smile and laugh about it as well. Alphys and Undyne promised to get with Angel and Juliette about when they want their wedding to take place, though they’re already aiming for late Spring or early Summer. It was then that Juliette remembered her sister’s wedding and the official invitation she had gotten in the mail yesterday.

“Oh, my sister is having her wedding April tenth. It had been in May but she and her soon to be husband decided on an earlier date because of his family. I’ll be gone for about four days.” Juliette said, the others nodding in understanding thoug h Sans squeezed her hand.

“Anyway, we’ll continue planning later. C’mon, Undyne, let’s see if you can beat me at Super Smash Brothers.”Angel said, smirking when Undyne’s eyes flashed at the challenge.

“You’re on punk!”

Toriel and Asgore headed to the kitchen while the others sat down on and around the couch. Sans, however, tugged Juliette up the stairs and down the hallway to his room. Juliette was surprised; she has never seen the inside of Sans’ room and Papyrus had constantly complained that his brother never cleaned his room so she wouldn’t want to go inside anyway. Sans grinned at her before unlocking his door and opening it. Juliette was surprised at what she saw. Sans’ room is actually decently sized with a queen sized bed against one of the walls, a desk in a corner of the room, a closet, bookcase and a small entertainment stand with a T.V. on it. The desk is cluttered with papers and books, most of which are open. His closet is open and it looks as if there was an explosion of clothing on the floor around it. Books on the shelf were haphazardly scattered on the shelves, some of which are lying on the shelves or even upside down. However, there’s no unpleasant odor and his bed, while rumpled, is clean. Juliette had a feeling that Papyrus tried to ensure that his brother’s bedding and clothes were clean so he wasn’t wallowing in complete filth.

Sans walked Juliette through his room and sat down on the bed, smiling as she sat down beside him. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close so she was leaning against him.

“Are you going alone to your sister’s wedding?” Sans asked, concern in his voice as Juliette blushed softly and shifted.

“Um…Becca said that I could bring a friend or a date…” Juliette said, glancing shyly up at Sans.

“Oh?”

“Mhm…I was going to bring Angel at first but now we have the restaurant and club….and I have you. I just…I didn’t bring it up because well…we just began our relationship and I didn’t know if you’d want to meet my family and-“

Sans leaned down and gently kissed Juliette, making her pause mid-sentence as her eyes widened. The kiss was gentle and sweet, making her heart flutter wildly in her chest as her magic pulsed underneath her skin. Closing her eyes, she leaned into the kiss as Sans rested a bony hand against her cheek. She could feel his magic thrumming through his bones, seemingly pulsing in time with her own. When Sans pulled back, her eyes remained closed for a moment before he lightly brushed his thumb against her cheek.

“Baby girl, when I asked you out it’s because I can see a future with you. I may be a pile of lazy bones, but I’m serious when it comes to us. I would love to learn more about you and meet your family. I kinda figured that this will be a big deal for you since you said that you don’t have a very good relationship with your parents.” Sans said, watching as Juliette sighed and nodded slightly.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Sans. It’s just…I’m not ready to talk about those years I lived with my parents. It was hard enough telling my uncle Sebastian and Angel. I will tell you, but it won’t be for a while.” She said, Sans nodding in understanding.

“Whenever you’re ready, babe, I’ll be here to listen.” He said, smiling gently as Juliette leaned against his chest.

“Thank you, Sans.”

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Sans and Juliette returned to the living room after a few more minutes spent in silence just taking comfort in each other’s presence. They arrived just in time to watch Undyne finally beat Angel, Frisk and Papyrus. The tall redhead cheered and pumped her fist in celebration while Angel, Papyrus and Frisk groaned and complained playfully and eagerly began a new round. Sans headed into the kitchen to work on dinner with Toriel while Juliette sat down next to Alphys and struck up a conversation with the scientist. She learned that Mettaton is performing in New York tonight for the celebrations. Juliette could tell that Alphys was proud of Mettaton and on how far he’s come since they left the underground. She knew from previous conversations that Mettaton had been created by Alphys to kill humans, but since Frisk befriended Alphys and Mettaton she had quickly reprogramed the robot so he would no longer harm anyone.

Alphys and Juliette eventually joined in on the video game which made things more and more interesting. Asgore watched with interest and encourage them in their battles. Super Smash Brothers turned to Mortal Kombat, which meant that things got more intense and lively between battles. Angel and Undyne were the loudest in cheering and jeering at each other and the others. Juliette surprised almost everyone as she won battle after battle. Her smirk grew wider as she defeated Frisk in a few well time hits. Frisk groaned silently, glaring at the screen before he passed the controller over to Papyrus. The battle began with Angel gripping onto Juliette’s shoulders tightly while cheering on her friend. Undyne was doing the same with Papyrus, egging him on and telling him different buttons to mash in order to stand a chance against Juliette. However, no matter how much encouragement Papyrus got from Undyne and Frisk, his character finally fell and the match was won by Juliette. Before they could start another round, Sans walked out of the kitchen and called them.

“C’mon, dinner’s done.” He said, grinning when the group groaned and huffed.

Sans chuckled and shook his head fondly, watching as the others got up and walked to the kitchen. The counters were covered in different dishes, though everyone’s mouth was watering when they saw the large, juicy steaks that were on a plate. Taking turns, they loaded their plates with steak, potatoes, peas, carrots, pasta and rolls. The small dining room table had been joined by another folding table with matching chairs surrounding it. Conversation was lively and loud with Undyne and Papyrus telling funny stories which made everyone laugh and grin. Sans and Toriel soon engaged in a pun war which had everyone in stitches though Papyrus was struggling to keep a scowl on his face. Juliette and Angel only laughed harder when Papyrus finally gave in and started chuckling, though he hid his mouth behind his hands as he did so. Juliette saw the triumph in Sans’ eyes when he saw his little brother laughing and even Toriel looked pleased with herself when she saw the tall skeleton.

After everyone was full, Juliette and Angel volunteered to do dish duty, to which they rinsed off the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. What couldn’t fit into the machine they washed by hand and dried off before putting them away in the cupboards. Once that was finished, they headed outside after bundling up and brought out the fireworks. While it’s not time to set off the main fireworks, they cleared the ground off and ensured nothing would catch fire for when they did light them. Instead they played with the poppers by chasing each other around and Angel then broke out the sparklers. Angel and Juliette smiled as the others played with the sparklers with eyes wide and filled with wonder. Even Sans, who was seated in a lawn chair was grinning brightly as he lazily waved his sparkler around. Frisk and Papyrus ran around the backyard, waving their sparklers around in which Angel hurried after and joined in their game.

Once it got darker, Angel, Juliette and Papyrus brought out the fireworks. They carefully set up the fireworks a safe distance away from the group and the house. When everything was set up, Toriel beckoned everyone back towards the house before taking aim before thrusting a paw out towards the fuses. A stream of flames shot from her palm, igniting the fuses at the same time. Juliette blinked when Sans reached out and pulled her onto his lap, though she smiled and settled down comfortably as the fireworks shot into the sky. Everyone was in awe as the many different colored fireworks shot into the sky, some of them changing colors which made everyone murmur in wonder. Juliette glanced at Sans, smiling when she saw the lights from the fireworks reflecting off his skull and the wonder and interest in his eyes. She knew that he had looked up how fireworks were made, which had made her laugh. She loved on how much of a nerd Sans is and how interested in learning how things are made and work he is.

After the last of their fireworks were used, they headed inside and turned on the T.V. They all watched as the ball began dropping in Times Square. As it neared midnight, all of them headed outside and watched the sky intently. Alphys had learned earlier that they would be able to see the fireworks from the brother’s house so all of them were eager to see the display that the city put on. Everyone was soon counting down until midnight, their eyes bright and trained on the sky. Sans wound his arms around Juliette, pulling her back against his chest as Alphys and Undyne moved closer together. Asgore lifted Frisk onto his shoulders so the boy would be able to see the display better while Angel eagerly bounced on the balls of her feet.

“Four…three…two…one!”

Fireworks lit the night sky as everyone cheered. Undyne swept Alphys into her arms and lovingly kissed her fiancé while Sans turned Juliette’s head as he leaned over her shoulder slightly. Her eyes danced in the flashing lights from the fireworks; shinning happily as he kissed her. Angel grinned when she saw the kiss Sans and Juliette shared before she turned towards Papyrus and tapped his shoulder. Papyrus blinked and looked down at Angel, bending slightly when she beckoned him closer. His eyes widened as an orange blush rose on his cheekbones when Angel kissed his cheek. The redhead grinned as she pulled away and saw the blush, though she laughed when Papyrus nervously chuckled and blushed harder.

Seeing how happy Juliette and Sans were made Angel realize that she wouldn’t mind being happy with someone once more. While her relationship with Spencer hadn’t ended too long ago, she knew that she would be ready to try another relationship sometime soon. She has no intention of dating for another month or so, but she was already thinking about Papyrus. When Juliette had asked her about her and Papyrus’ relationship, that had made her re-evaluate things between herself and the excitable skeleton. Yes, there was deep affection for Papyrus and she found him to be a wonderful monster. Even though he is really innocent and excitable, Papyrus is capable of deep insight and he knows when to be serious. She could honestly see a relationship between her and Pap, though she wasn’t sure if she was ready just yet. Her heart and mind are still getting over Spencer and she didn’t want to push herself into a relationship so soon.

-Maybe in a month or so…if he’s interested of course.-She thought, smiling and laughing as Juliette left Sans’ arms and kissed her cheek.

The group of friends remained outside watching the fireworks display. All of them were smiling and leaning against each other, in which Juliette was surprised and happy to see Toriel allowing Asgore to gently hold her hand. It made her wonder what was going on between them and if they’ve managed to find the time to visit the underground for the burial. However, she turned her attention to Sans when he wrapped a bony arm around her waist and pulled her close. Smiling, she leaned against him, allowing his warmth to pass through her light jacket. It had been an unusually warm day, though when you live in Michigan you have to get used weird weather and temperatures. It was nice that the ice and snow was starting to melt, but they knew it was very possible that it could snow and even ice over tomorrow. All of them were enjoying the warm weather while it lasts.

After the fireworks ended, everyone headed back inside and watched the end of Mettaton’s concert. Frisk and Papyrus were soon yawning and so Toriel and Sans went upstairs to put the pair to bed in Papyrus’ room. Alphys and Undyne left not long after with Toriel and Asgore leaving soon after them. Angel and Juliette were dead tired so Sans decided to teleport them back to their apartment.

Angel sleepily took Shade out one last time while Sans led his half-asleep girlfriend to her bedroom. He looked around her bedroom with some interest since he had never gone inside of the room since the first time he had visited the apartment and she had shown them around. Looking back at Juliette, he chuckled softly as she sleepily smiled up at him.

“Did you have a good night?” She asked, her voice soft as Sans nodded.

“Course I did. The fireworks were great and it’s always a great time when I get to hang out with you and everyone one else.” Sans said, Juliette smiling brightly.

“I’m glad to hear that.” She said, walking over and wrapping her arms around the skeleton.

“When should Pap and I come over for the trip?” Sans asked, holding Juliette close as she nuzzled her face against his chest.

“We’re gonna rent a van so all of us, Undyne and Alphys included can take the van up. I’ll be shadow-walking Shade and Trixie to the cabin once we get there. Come over on the tenth early morning. It’s an eight and a half hour drive to the cabin in Iron River. We want to get there at a decent time to unpack and the drive isn’t counting any stops we make. If you and Pap come over early you can have breakfast here and you can, of course, sleep on the way there.” She said, smirking as she looked up at her boyfriend.

Sans simply grinned and shrugged, making Juliette giggle. Rising up on her tip-toes, Juliette kissed Sans goodnight and ushered him out of her room. Sans laughed and allowed her to push him out, grinning as she closed the door behind him. Shaking his head, he strolled back to the living room and waited until Angel returned with Shade. Only when the door was locked did Sans say his goodbyes and teleported back home. Angel ensured that Shade and Trixie had enough food and water before staggering to her bathroom and brushing her teeth. Heading to her room, she had just enough energy to change before falling into her bed after turning off the light.

Back at Sans and Papyrus’ house, Sans slowly moved around the living room. Using his magic, he soon had the room straightened up and put the trash in the trash can. He knew that he’s a pretty lazy pile of bones, so hopefully Pap won’t complain too much later since he’s cleaned up. Yawning, he looked around the living room and blinked when he saw that Juliette had left her hoodie on the couch. He made a mental note to give it back to her when she came over to pick up her car though he paused on his way to the stairs. Looking towards the couch, he mentally debated on what he wanted to do. Sighing, Sans gave in and used his magic to grab Juliette’s hoodie and brought it over. Snagging her hoodie, Sans headed upstairs and unlocked his door before stepping into his room. He quickly changed into a pair of pajama pants and a white wife-beater before flopping down on his bed.

Sans snagged Juliette’s hoodie from the foot of his bed and held it close, closing his eyes as the scent of her body wash and perfume filled his senses. Okay, call him foolish, but the scent was comforting and helped him relax even more. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Surprisingly, for the first time in a while, there were no nightmares. Normally it was rare when he was able to get a decent night’s sleep without waking in the middle of the night with his bones shaking due to the memories of all of the timelines he remembered. It was one of the many reasons why he was always so tired and was hard pressed to wake up before noon.

“Sans! Get up you lazy bones!”

Sans groaned as the piercing voice of his brother came through his door. It felt as if he had only just fallen asleep and he’s warm and comfortable. Rolling over, Sans sighed as he nestled further under his comforter, his hands curled around Juliette’s hoodie.

“ _Sans_!”

Another groan escaped the lazy brother; he knew Papyrus would continue calling for him until he finally woke up. Sighing, he sluggishly pushed his comforter away and sat up, mentally debating on just flopping back down and using his magic to block out his brother’s voice. However, when someone started knocking on his door he huffed and stood. Shuffling around his room, he was soon dressed in his trademark hoodie, shorts and, instead of his tennis shoes, opted for his favorite pink slippers. Opening the door to his room, he slipped out into the hallway and locked the door behind him. Sounds and chatter came from the kitchen, which led him down the stairs and through the archway. His grin widened slightly as Frisk hurried over and hugged him, to which he ruffled the kid’s hair.

“Mornin’.” He muttered, his voice rough as Papyrus looked at him.

“There you are, Sans! Juliette texted and said that she’ll be by soon. She forgot her hoodie apparently.” He said, Sans blinking before he nodded.

“Yeah, she did. I have it in my room.” He said, Papyrus nodding as Frisk smiled.

[ _We’re having pancakes!_ ] He signed, making Sans chuckle as his grin widened.

“Sounds good. Thanks for breakfast bro.” He said, Papyrus beaming at him.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

During the days leading up to their week at the cabin, Juliette and Angel were busy making a shopping list for what they’ll need to buy in way of groceries. Juliette was also planning on shadow-walking with Shade and Trixie so they won’t have to be crammed in the van with all of them for eight hours. Undyne and Alphys loved the idea of carpooling to the cabin, in which Juliette came up with the idea of shadow-walking them to the apartment in the morning so they won’t have to leave their car behind at the apartment complex. The pair spent a full day scrubbing the cabin with the windows open to get rid of the stale and musty air inside. They also alerted the ranger that they’ll be staying at their cabin for a week with their friends, to which the man promised to check up on them once in a while. After the cabin was scrubbed down, Angel and Juliette added a ton of movies to the small shelves that were on either side of the fireplace. Juliette decided to splurge and got a comfortable, shag rug that went in the living room near the fireplace along with a series of overly large pillows and throw blankets.

They also stocked up on plenty of firewood for the fireplace inside the cabin and for the fire pit outside. It was interesting getting the truck with the firewood to the cabin but the man who they bought the firewood from was able to do it and he brought three workers to help unload the firewood. Once that was finished, Angel and Juliette finally went grocery shopping three days before they were set to head to the cabin and stocked the kitchen. There were plenty of conversations with their friends about what they needed to pack and ensure that they would be properly kitted out for their mini vacation. Renting the van was pretty interesting, since Angel got Dylan to go with her when going to the car rental. He was the one who found the perfect van for them to get that’ll comfortably seat all of them without being too cramped as well as holding all of their bags. Once that was finished, Angel and Juliette hurriedly packed their own bags.

On the morning of the first day of their vacation, Angel and Juliette woke up early and hurriedly showered and threw their bags into the back of the van. Juliette had wisely bought a Styrofoam cooler along with a crap load of drinks and fixings to make sandwiches in case they didn’t feel like getting fast food on the drive up to the cabin. Angel had also bought a bunch of snack food after everyone gave their input to what they liked to munch on. As eight o’clock came around, Juliette shadow-walked to Alphys and Undyne’s mobile home, to which she arrived between the house and the shed so no one would see her. Knocking on the door, she smiled when Alphys opened the door and beckoned her inside. Undyne walked out of their bedroom while pulling on her shirt, making Juliette shake her head fondly.

“Alright! Let’s get this show on the road!” Undyne cried, eagerness in her voice as she grabbed the black duffle bag that was by the door.

“We won’t be leaving until after we have breakfast and have the van packed. I also need to shadow-walk Shade and Trixie to the cabin beforehand.” Juliette said, Undyne nodding her head though she still looked eager.

Alphys grabbed her own duffle bag and a backpack before she and Undyne locked up the place and turned everything off. Juliette grabbed both of their hands and drew on a large amount of magic. She’s only shadow walked two people at the same time a few times before this and it normally tired her out since she was focusing on ensuring that all three of them made it through the void and shadows. She was slightly surprised when she felt Undyne’s magic helping to power her. Glancing back at the tall woman, she smiled gratefully which made Undyne grin. Alphys gripped onto her hand tightly as they walked into the shadows and moved through the void. However, it only lasted a little less than a minute before they were standing in the living room of the apartment. Angel happily ran over and hugged the pair before she ushered them outside to put their bags in the van. It took a few minutes to organize things but they were soon back inside and sitting on the sectional.

Juliette headed into the kitchen and began pulling out the fixings for omelets, which included chopping ingredients so everyone could tell her what they wanted on their omelets. While she was in the kitchen, Sans and Papyrus teleported in; scaring Angel half to death when they suddenly appeared near the front door. She glared at the brothers before hugging them happily. Papyrus had brought two suitcases, which were fairly bursting while Sans had packed a garbage bag and a backpack. Like with Undyne and Alphys, she took them outside to pack the van, in which Sans was surprised when Angel told him that he’ll be sitting shotgun. Heading back inside, everyone was soon crowding around the kitchen and took turns informing Juliette what they wanted in their omelets. Papyrus and Undyne were eagerly watching Juliette as she pulled out the griddle and began cooking, to which even Sans was watching her with interest.

“U-Undyne and I b-brought our portable DVD player for the ride there and back.” Alphys said, smiling as Angel grinned.

“Same here. I also bought a couple new animes that you might be interested in.” She said, biting her lip to keep from laughing when Alphys’ eyes lit up in eagerness.

It wasn’t long before everyone began gathering in the kitchen to claim their omelets. Juliette was rather flattered when the others waited until she had her own breakfast plated and she was able to join them at the table. Conversation was lively as they ate and Undyne and Papyrus explained that they were leaving the gym in the hands of the manager they had hired two months ago. The manager had assured them both that he could handle everything, though many people were upset that Undyne and Papyrus wouldn’t be around to have their training sessions. Angel and Juliette were surprised that people and monsters alike seemed to _enjoy_ the legal form of torture that was their workouts. Both women had seen the routines and had no doubt in their minds that they would soon be on the floor exhausted after only a few minutes of working out with either Undyne or Papyrus. Alphys and Sans apparently agreed with them since the expressions on the faces said that the people attending their classes will most likely enjoy their time away from the gym.

After they all finished eating, Papyrus and Undyne volunteered to do dishes, which allowed Juliette to shadow-walk Shade and Trixie to the cabin. Trixie was fine in her carrier, since it has black mesh sides and doors which could actually be covered so she can’t see outside. Shade, unfortunately had to be blindfolded once more and it took Juliette a minute or two to calm him down after she pulled off the blindfold after getting to the cabin. One he calmed down, Juliette took him outside and let him sniff and run around to burn off energy before letting him back inside and showed him and Trixie where their food and water was. Shadow-walking back to the apartment, she helped Angel pack the cooler before fitting it into the van where everyone could get to it somewhat easily.

Juliette and Angel then double checked everything, including their bags in the van and then the apartment to make sure they had packed everything they wanted. Of course Juliette could simply shadow-walk back to the apartment if they forgot anything, they wanted to avoid it if possible. Moving around the apartment, they began locking up as anyone who had to use the bathroom, used it. Angel was nearly running through the apartment in eagerness as she hurriedly put on her light jacket and ensured that they had packed their heavy winter coats in case it snowed while they were there. It didn’t take much longer before everyone was soon piling in the van while Juliette locked the apartment up after turning everything off. Hurrying down the stairs, she smiled as Angel climbed into the back and closed the sliding door. Opening the driver’s side door, she climbed into the seat and closed the door before buckling up. Looking over at Sans, she laughed when she saw he has already reclined back in his seat and has his headphones on. He grinned at her before closing his eyes as she turned on the van and pulled out of her parking space.

“You’re not using a GPS?” Alphys spoke up from the back, making Juliette glance back at her using the rearview mirror.

“Nope. I’ve been there so many times I know how to get there by heart. Angel does as well.” Juliette said, smiling as she drove through the complex.

Getting onto the main road, Angel, who was sitting in the middle seat, quickly pulled on her headphones and started up her small DVD player. In the main back seat Papyrus, Alphys and Undyne shared another portable player. Juliette smiled before turning on the radio so she’ll have something to listen to herself. It didn’t take long before she heard the faint snores coming from her boyfriend, which made her smile and shake her head. She drove straight through to Saginaw where she finally stopped at a gas station where she and the others, except for Sans, stood and stretched before using the bathroom while Juliette put gas into the van. Juliette shadow-walked to the cabin where she let Shade outside to use the bathroom before she returned to the others. Back on the road, the others decided to talk and look out the window to enjoy the scenery, in which Angel answered many questions as they got close enough to see Saginaw Bay.

Sans finally woke up as they neared Grayling. At the prompting of the others, Juliette stopped and at a rest stop and they all got out and stretched. They sat in the van and made lunch using the sandwiches fixings Juliette had brought. Sans asked a few questions about the route they’re taking along with any stops they might have to make. Angel and Juliette explained that they will hopefully make it through to Mackinaw City before they’ll need to stop and refuel. The van thankfully has great gas mileage which came in handy on a trip like this. After resting for a little while, they got back on the road and headed towards Mackinaw City. Sans, instead of going back to his music, talked softly with Juliette while the others either read, napped or watched movies. Juliette was grateful for the conversation, especially when Sans gladly got her snacks or a drink from the cooler.

Making it to Mackinaw City, Juliette pulled into a gas station and refueled before all of them headed inside and restocked their drinks and snacks. For Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys things were slightly awkward as people stared at them with a mixture of curiosity, surprise and even disgust. Of course Angel and Juliette saw the stares and instantly vetoed the idea of stopping and sitting down at a restaurant for a meal. Instead, they headed to the nearest fast food location and got all of them something to eat. They simply sat in the parking lot to eat and talk, in which Papyrus eagerly asked questions about the bridge and Mackinac Island. Their friends were greatly interested in learning about the island, though Angel and Juliette have only been there once when they were in their early teens so they weren’t able to recall too much. Moving on, they were soon driving on the bridge heading to the Upper Peninsula. All of them were looking out the windows in wonder at the lakes, to which Papyrus and Alphys were taking plenty of pictures for Frisk, Toriel and Asgore.

It took a while to get across the bridge because of traffic, though it wasn’t nearly as busy as it normally is during late Spring and Summer when people are heading to the camp grounds. Once they were back on solid ground, Juliette drove straight through to Escanaba where they stopped to stretch and refuel for the last time. There was a noticeable air of excitement in the group as they neared their destination, especially when they got into the van and took off towards Iron River.

“Now, the cabin is outside the actual city and is one of the cabins around Lake Ottawa. It’s a really pretty area.” Angel explained, smiling as the others listened closely.

“Is Iron River City the closest city to the cabin?” Alphys asked, making Angel look at her.

“Iron River City, Caspian and Neima in Wisconsin are the closest cities.” Juliette answered, the others nodding in understanding.

They all continued on the way to the cabin, stopping once more in Iron River City. Heading to a small store, all of them headed inside and grabbed a few things; ignoring the blatant stares they were getting from the residents and other shoppers. Back in the van, it was only a thirty minute drive to the cabin, in which everyone was looking at the forest eagerly. Angel pointed out the fact that they were fifteen minutes from the next cabin and they shouldn’t expect to run into any trouble since many people weren’t around this time of year expect for people who had the same idea as them. Pulling into the gravel driveway, Juliette and Angel were surprised to see a truck in the driveway as well. Pulling up, Juliette parked and all of them got out of the van. A middle-aged man with dark brown hair and sharp blue eyes got out of the truck, his uniform instantly putting Angel and Juliette at ease.

“Ranger Crowe, it’s good to see you.” Juliette said, smiling as she walked over to the man and shook his hand.

“It’s good to see you as well, Miss Thorn. I’ll be in the area throughout the week along with a few other rangers. I’ve informed them that you and your friends are up here.” The man said, shaking hands with Angel as well.

“How’s the lake?” Angel asked, looking towards the snow covered water.

“The ice is pretty thick but it’s thawing out. If you plan on going out on it be careful and stick towards the shores. If it gets colder then there shouldn’t be a problem.” He said, looking at the others with some interest.

“Thanks, Ranger Crowe.” Angel said, smiling as the man nodded.

“If you need any help just give the station a call.” He said, the group nodding before he got back into his truck and took off.

Opening the back of the van, they all grabbed their bags and Sans was nice enough to use his magic to carry in the cooler and a few other things. Juliette led the way to the front door and unlocked the cabin, smiling as everyone filtered inside and looked around with interest and curiosity. Angel led the way into the living room where they all dropped off their bags before she and Juliette loaded everything in the cooler into fridge and the other things went into the cupboards. After that, everyone got the tour of the place and then came the decision on where everyone should sleep.

“Well, I think you should get the master bedroom, Jules.” Angel said, the others nodding as the woman in question frowned lightly.

“I don’t think so. I think that Pap should get the master bedroom.” She said, making said skeleton blink in surprise.

“Why me?” He asked, blinking as Sans suddenly chuckled softly.

“Because we all know you like to keep your set bedtime, Pap. Not only that but I’m guessing that the other beds aren’t long enough for you.” Sans said, Juliette smiling as she nodded.

“Exactly. The master bedroom is the only bedroom with a door. We won’t disturb you when you’re asleep if we want to stay up late.” She explained, Papyrus blinking before he smiled.

“Thank you, Juliette. I, the _Great Papyrus_ , appreciate the gesture.” He said, making the others laugh.

Undyne, Alphys and Angel climbed into the loft and Sans and Juliette used their magic to levitate their bags up and over the railing where the others caught them. Once Juliette and Sans got up to the loft, Angel and Sans instantly claimed the shared room with the many beds. Undyne and Alphys decided to sleep on one of the queen beds, to which they expressed their gratefulness in the creativeness that Angel had shown. She had decided to section off the two queen beds using a thick wire and draping sheets over the wire to give people privacy. Everyone soon got their things in place and their spaces ‘personalized’ as much as they can before heading back to the living room. Juliette and Angel took their friends outside, in which Shade happily bounded out after them and frolicked through the snow. Angel pointed out the trails and explained to the group that if anyone wanted to walk the trails than she and/or Juliette should go with them since it is rather easy to get lost in the unfamiliar area.

All of them were much too tired to spend time outside and stay up late to enjoy a bonfire and the stars. Instead, they retreated back inside and settled down in the living room to watch a movie. Angel chose a cheesy comedy that soon had all of them laughing and grinning. It was an hour later when Papyrus and Undyne explained that they’re getting hungry. Juliette got Papyrus to help her in the kitchen in making a homemade pizza, to which the tall skeleton eagerly joined in and was all too happy helping her. They made two pizzas, in which Juliette chopped the mushrooms and onions while Papyrus spread the sauce on the crusts. It took a little while, especially when Papyrus added a little too much sauce to one of the pizzas but the wonderful smell of cooking pizza was soon filling the cabin.

“Hey, Pap, wanna check out the trails tomorrow?” Undyne asked, grinning as her friend blinked and smiled.

“I would _love_ to!” Papyrus exclaimed, making the others smile and chuckle.

“I’ll go with ya.” Angel offered making the pair grin and cheer.

“I still have some trail maps if you need them.” Juliette said, making the redheaded woman nod.

“Is something burning?” Sans asked, making Juliette’s eyes widened.

“Crap!”

The group of friends laughed as Juliette dashed into the kitchen and pulled out the pizzas just as they began to get a little too dark on the bottom. Sighing in relief, Juliette sat the pans down on the stove and pulled out enough paper plates for all of them. Cutting the slices, she called the others in for food and grinned as everyone soon piled into the kitchen and stood in a line to get their food.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

The next day Undyne, Papyrus and Angel were, shockingly, the first ones awake. Instead of waking up the others, they made themselves bowls of cereal before bundling up and putting Shade on his harness and leash. All of them ensured that they had their phones and Angel grabbed one of the trail maps that was located in a drawer in the kitchen. She wrote a quick note explaining that they were heading out onto one of the trails and would be back in a while. The trio eagerly set out with Shade happily trotting along beside them. Angel led the way to the start of the trail behind the garage and they were all glad that the trail had been maintained so the snow wasn’t as deep as the snow surrounding it. Setting out, Angel happily shared fond memories with Undyne and Papyrus about all the times she and Juliette used to run and bike through the trails during the Spring and Summer. Papyrus eagerly asked questions and his eyes were wide as Angel pointed out different markers and took them down different paths.

Back at the cabin, Juliette and Alphys woke up a few minutes apart and were soon sitting on the couch eating their own bowls of cereal. Juliette eagerly asked Alphys about her work and was enthralled when she explained that she and her colleges were finding out a lot about human diseases and illnesses. She also explained that they were getting close to finding different treatments for cancer that won’t be as brutal on the body as current treatments. Juliette was in awe over the different medication and was filled with praise for Alphys’ work which made the clementine monster blush and duck her head even though there was a small smile on her face. Alphys asked questions about the restaurant and the club along with the employees, in which Juliette eagerly explained how everything is going great and they’ve been getting more and more positive publicity.

“Has there been any trouble yet?” Alphys asked, worry in her voice as Juliette hummed.

“We received a few calls from some…unsupportive people. All of them were blowing hot air; explaining that we’re taking business away from ‘good’ businesses in the downtown area and that we’re inhibiting the ‘human’ movement and rights. Both of us were quick to slam them down by stating that monsters are just now getting the rights they deserve.” Juliette said, Alphys nodding her head.

“Do you expect any trouble when you open for business?” Alphys asked, concern in her voice as Juliette sighed and nodded.

“Sadly, yes. It’ll be a prime target for monsterphobes. Mixing booze with tempers isn’t a very good thing but hopefully Sans and the other bouncers will be able to handle anyone who causes trouble inside.” She answered, Alphys nodding.

“Don’t worry, babe. Rich and I should be able to handle anything.”

Alphys and Juliette jumped, their eyes wide as they turned their heads towards the ladder leading up to the loft. Sans was standing there, his nearly permanent grin in place though his eyes showed that he is still tired and waking up. Both women relaxed and smiled as Sans walked over before flopping down on the couch beside Juliette; wrapping a bony arm around her waist instantly. Juliette leaned against Sans’ side, not even bothered by the fact that he’s only dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a short sleeved shirt. Now, she had thought that Sans would be boney and uncomfortable given that he’s a skeleton. However, he wasn’t. She had been surprised, even more so when she had been able to wrap her hands around his radius and her fingers had slipped between the bone and his ulna. Sans had shivered when that happened and she had hurriedly released him while stammering an apology. However, she had fallen silent when she saw the deep blush on his cheekbones and, as he nervously rubbed the back of his skull, he explained that it hadn’t felt bad. All he had said was that his bones are rather sensitive which made her blush a deep red at the implications of this knowledge.

“Want anything specific for breakfast?” She asked, tilting her head up to look at her boyfriend.

“Naw, I’ll just have what you’re havin’.” He said, pressing his teeth to the top of her head.

Juliette blushed when she heard the small squeal Alphys let out. She had learned rather quickly that Alphys had been rooting for her and Sans to get together the first time she had seen them hanging out together. Apparently she deemed them the cutest couple and ‘totally shipped them’ much to her embarrassment. Of course she had retaliated by gently teasing Alphys on how cute she and Undyne are together which made the clementine monster blush and hide her face in her hands. Juliette pulled away so Sans could get up and shuffle into the kitchen to get himself a bowl of cereal for himself. While he was in there, Alphys and Juliette began talking about Howl’s Moving Castle, which Alphys had loved completely. She had a minor fangirl moment when Juliette pulled up a picture on her phone of her Calcifer plushie. Juliette grinned and told Alphys about anime conventions which had her friend in awe.

Sans chuckled as he listened while walking into the room with his bowl. He wasn’t too big on anime, though even he had to admit that the one’s Juliette has had him watch are pretty good. Conversation soon turned to different topics and they were all soon laughing and talking about different pranks and funny things they’ve seen and heard. Alphys and Juliette were nearly on the floor in stitches as Sans finished telling them about a prank he had pulled on his brother. Papyrus, Angel and Undyne walked in to witnessing Alphys and Juliette clinging to each other as they laughed. Angel raised an eyebrow in amusement while Undyne’s grin grew and Papyrus looked at the pair before putting his hands on his hips and glaring at his brother.

“ _Sans_! What did you do to our friends?!” He demanded, glaring as Sans looked at him before laughing harder.

“I-I-It’s n-nothing, P-Paps!” Juliette giggled, tears in her eyes as Alphys nodded.

“Y-Yeah…” She agreed, covering her mouth with her hands in an attempt to muffle her laughter.

“Alright punks, now I gotta know.” Undyne said, looking eagerly at Sans.

“Yeah!” Angel agreed, nodding as she stared at the skeleton.

“I was tellin’ them about the time I switched Paps’ cologne with a special oil that smelled like bacon. Doggo, Greater Dog, Lesser Dog, Dogamy and Dogaressa kept followin’ him around all day. Lesser Dog refused to leave Pap alone and actually snuck into our place and slept next to him while lightly chewing on his shoulder.” Sans explained, the white pinpricks in his eye sockets gleaming with mirth.

“Oh man!” Undyne howled, laughing as Angel bit down on her knuckles to stifle her own laughter.

“Ah, but I got back at my brother by making him do _all_ the laundry for two days.” Papyrus said, making the others laugh even harder as Sans chuckled and nodded.

After everyone calmed down, Angel, Undyne and Papyrus eagerly talked about their walk through the woods and the different things they saw. Shade was so worn out from his walk that he curled up on his bed inside his crate and promptly fell asleep. Juliette peered outside at the lake in the distance and saw that the snow wasn’t very thick on the ice. Grinning, she slipped on her boots, coat, scarf and gloves; telling the others that she’ll be outside making a space on the ice so she can ice skate. Heading outside, she snagged a broom on the way out before running to the lake. In the distance she could see a few other people already on the ice skating. She walked along the frozen lake and marked a clear ‘rink’ for herself before she began at the furthest point from the shore.

She was soon at work sweeping and eventually used a snow shovel to clear the area she had marked. Undyne and Papyrus eagerly stepped out to join her after they warmed up from their walk; though Sans, Alphys and Angel remained inside. When the ‘rink’ was cleared, Undyne and Papyrus had great fun sliding around with their boots while Juliette hurried to the cellar and located the box which had her old ice skates. After making sure they still fit her feet, she hurried back to the shore and tugged off her boots before pulling on her skates and stepping onto the ice. Papyrus and Undyne were in awe over the graceful twists, turns and jumps Juliette was able to make and Papyrus even hurried inside to grab the others. Angel was grinning as soon as she saw her friend on the ice, her eyes bright as she watched Juliette twirl across the ice. Looking at Sans, she laughed softly when she saw that he was watching Juliette with interest, to which she soon led the skeleton down to the cellar where she had him try on Sebastian’s old skates. They were still, shockingly, in great condition and even better, they fit Sans perfectly. Sans carried the skates over to the edge of the shore and tugged on the skates; Angel giving him pointers on how to lace them and ensure they wouldn’t fall off.

When Juliette saw what her boyfriend was doing, her eyes lit up in happiness and she eagerly skated over and helped Sans get to his feet. Naturally, he was shaky and wobbled as he stepped onto the ice. However, Juliette simply smiled and skated backwards, her eye burning bright silver as she used her magic to sense were the edge of the snow was. Sans’ grin had morphed into a wide smile as he slowly but surely learned how to skate. Angel soon joined them on the ice with her own skates while the others joined using their boots and shoes to slide along the ice; Undyne holding onto her fiancé tightly to ensure Alphys wouldn’t fall. Naturally there were some falls and everyone was constantly checking on whoever had fallen. However, there was plenty of laughter and Sans even took a stab at skating on his own only to fall on his backside when he attempted to turn. Juliette helped him regain his footing and helped him get used to turning without falling so much. They remained on the ice for an hour before calling it quits, though after putting the skates away inside the house, they ended up having a huge snowball fight which then turned into tag with people chasing after each other carrying snowballs or just small piles of snow to be dumped on the others.

Once they were thoroughly soaked, they all headed inside where Angel and Juliette soon had a roaring fire going in living room while they all took turns showering. After making tacos for lunch, they all settled in the living room and put a scary movie on. Sans, Juliette, Undyne and Alphys were cuddled up with their respective partners on the shag rug in front of the fire while Papyrus and Angel were spread out on the couch and recliner with throw blankets. There were plenty of moments were they all screamed or jumped during the movie; in which Sans and Undyne had their arms wrapped securely around their girlfriends. After the movie, Angel put on some of the cheesier scary movies which allowed all of them to make fun of the main characters and how they fell for obvious traps and lures from the killer/spirit/monster. After another movie, a comedy this time, Papyrus made spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread for dinner.

It was after dinner when Undyne and Sans went outside and built up the bonfire. Angel, Juliette and Alphys carried out folding chairs while Papyrus carried out the makings for s’mores. Sans headed back inside and returned after grabbing his telescope which he and Alphys set up a foot or so away from the fire while Juliette headed inside and grabbed plenty of blankets for them all to huddle underneath. With only a few inside lights on, the night sky was out in full view. Angel and Juliette smiled when they saw the starry sky, though looking at their friends, they couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus and Sans were looking up at the sky in awe. It really drove home the fact that their friends had never truly seen the night sky so clearly besides in movies, shows and documentaries. The two began pointing out constellations they know and explained how some constellations aren’t visible until a certain time of night or around a certain time of year. Sans was the first one to use his telescope and gasped when he saw a meteor shoot across the sky.

“What the-?!”

“Juliette, Angel…what’s happening?” Undyne asked, worry in her voice as she saw more and more meteors shoot across the sky.

“Oh! It’s a meteor shower!” Angel gasped, her eyes wide and bright in the firelight.

“A meteor shower? Is-Is it dangerous?” Papyrus asked, concern in his voice as the girls smiled warmly at them.

“No! It’s perfectly safe, Pap.” Juliette said, Angel nodding her head as the others slowly relaxed.

“What causes a meteor shower?” Undyne asked, looking at the sky as more and more meteors shot across it.

“It happens whenever a comet goes too close to the Sun and produces debris which is known as meteoroids. Those meteoroids then orbit the comet. If the Earth’s orbit and the comets orbit coincide, then we get the experience of a meteor shower.” Angel explained, watching as their friends relaxed and enjoyed the stunning view.

The meteor shower lasted another ten minutes, in which all of them took turns using Sans’ telescope to watch the shower. Afterwards they settle down and began making s’mores. They all had a great time just chatting and laughing around the fire; teasing each other and laughing whenever a marshmallow caught on fire or melted straight into the flames. Juliette and Angel cringed when Sans ate a completely blackened marshmallow, to which he just grinned and chuckled as the pair shuddered and stuck their tongues out at him. Undyne and Angel had a rather interesting competition in seeing who could stuff more marshmallows into their mouths, in which Undyne won by two of the fluffy confections. Papyrus complained about so many marshmallows being wasted, though the two women promised to eat all of the marshmallows that they had stuffed into their mouths. They did, though Angel and Undyne both regretted it as their stomachs began protesting.

“I warned you two; but _no_ you just had to have that silly competition. It’s a good thing I brought some Pepto Bismol.” Juliette said, shaking her head as Angel and Undyne glared at her while rubbing their stomachs.

It was around midnight when almost everyone said goodnight. Sans followed Papyrus inside to read his brother a bedtime story so he could fall asleep while Undyne and Angel retreated inside to take care of their upset stomachs and rest. Juliette put out the fire and stomped out the coals before heading back inside. She took Shade out one last time before locking up and adding another log in the fireplace before making sure the screen was in place to prevent sparks from getting out. Turning out all the lights, Juliette camped out on the rug in front of the fireplace with a book; using a small flashlight to read without straining her eyes. However, she was surprisingly joined by a certain skeleton.

“Hey, I thought you would’ve gone to bed.” She said, setting her book on her lap.

“Nah, just not tired enough. What about you?” Sans asked, watching as the light from the fire danced across his girlfriend’s skin.

“Same.” She said, Sans nodding as he leaned against her side.

“What ya reading?” He asked, looking at the book with some interest.

“I’m re-reading Wicked.” Juliette said, smiling as Sans raised a brow bone at her.

Juliette was soon reading to Sans, her voice soft so she wouldn’t disturb the others who had fallen asleep. It wasn’t too long after she began reading when Juliette heard Sans’ breathing deepen and even out. Looking over at him, she smiled fondly when she saw that he had fallen asleep listening to her. She marked the spot where Sans had fallen asleep listening to before closing the book and setting it aside. Turning off the flashlight, she used her magic to add another, small log to the fireplace before setting aside her glasses. Closing her eyes, she soon fell asleep curled up next to Sans.

\------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------

Over the course of the week, the group of friends spent time skating, relaxing, hiking and just bonding. Juliette and Sans spent plenty of time together going on walks or skating, which Sans picked up rather well after two days of instruction by Juliette. Undyne and Alphys loved getting away from the stress of work and getting an extended amount of time just getting to relax and spend time together without work looming above them. Sans and Juliette took every opportunity to spend time together as they both know that as soon as they leave they’ll be busy with work and getting the others ready for the opening of the restaurant and club. They also noticed on how Angel and Papyrus were spending more and more time together. Sans was beyond happy with this, since he knew that Papyrus got lonely easily and it was often hard for his younger brother to find people who wanted to spend large amounts of time with him given his high level of exuberance. However, Angel was able to not only keep up with Papyrus, but was able to handle his volume and handle his questions and inquisitive nature.

“I think Angel and Papyrus might get together.” Juliette said, smiling as she and Sans cuddled on her bed.

“Same here. I can tell Paps likes Angel.” Sans added, Juliette giggling softly as she thought of this morning.

Angel had come down from the loft wearing an overly large shirt and shorts. Her hair had been wild and her eyes had been half shut because of sleep even as she stumbled into the kitchen. Papyrus had been at the table while Juliette and Alphys made breakfast when Angel walked in and flopped down in a chair beside him. Juliette had glanced over and had practically burst out laughing when Angel leaned heavily against Papyrus; her head resting on his shoulder as she nearly fell back to sleep. Papyrus had looked shocked at the action before his cheekbones turned a vibrant orange color with his blush. She honestly thought that Angel and Papyrus would be good for each other just like she and Sans. Angel needs a guy like Papyrus; someone who’s caring, funny, high energy and able to pull her down from her temper whenever something angers her. Papyrus already proved to be able to do that one day before they had come to the cabin.

Papyrus, Angel, Sans and Juliette had been walking around the downtown area one afternoon. They were all just laughing and hanging out as they window shopped, though on occasion they actually stopped inside one of the shops to look around better. Sans and Juliette were holding hands, of course, when they walked past Blue Moon. Of course, as luck would have it, they walked by when Victor had been outside having a smoke break. As soon as they walked by he had sneered and called out to them; calling Juliette a filthy monster fucking bitch and Angel a no good whore. Juliette had to reign in her own temper while pulling Sans away once she noticed that his eye sockets had gone dark. Angel wasn’t any better as she snarled and made to turn and confront Victor. However, Papyrus had wisely grabbed the redhead’s shoulders and pulled her away. He led them away from the restaurant and from Victor’s hateful slurs until they were far enough away from him that he felt Angel wouldn’t storm over to the man and punch his lights out.

Papyrus had wrapped an arm around Angel’s waist and calmed her down; reminding her that she’s better than Victor and she would be giving him power by reacting to his slurs. His words had an effect on Juliette and Sans and calmed them down as well. It had surprised Juliette to see Angel visibly relax and calm down as Papyrus talked to her and reassured her that things were alright and that she shouldn’t let people like Victor get to her. Not many people, including some of their other close friends, were capable of calming Angel down and pulling her away from the object of her anger. Hell, even Juliette struggles to do so though that’s mostly because she also has her own temper to deal with at the time which is hard enough.

“-be…babe?”

Juliette blinked and looked at Sans, her eyes wide as he grinned and chuckled at her.

“Huh?! Sorry, Sans; lost in thought.” Juliette said, blushing as he grinned and nuzzled her neck.

“Kinda’ figured.” He murmured, smiling as Juliette relaxed against him.

Juliette blinked when Sans shifted until he was leaning over her. Blinking, she smiled and blushed softly when she saw the white pinpricks in his eye sockets turn to small, white hearts. The first time she had seen it happen she had been confused and slightly worried. However, she had asked Toriel about it and the motherly goat had smiled warmly and explained that it was an outward showing of Sans’ deep affection for her. His soul was ‘showing’ through his eyes in that matter. As Sans lowered his head towards her, her eyes slipped closed and she sighed as his teeth pressed against her lips. Kissing him back, she brought one of her hands up and rested it on the back of his skull, her fingers idly stroking the smooth bone.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when she felt his teeth part and the sudden light coming from behind her eyelids made her crack her eyes open. She was surprised to see the cyan light shining through his eye, though she squeaked when she felt something warm and slightly damp touch her lips. Sans instantly pulled back and Juliette’s eyes widened when she saw what had touched her lips. A tongue, the same color as Sans’ magic, had formed in the darkness of his mouth. It shown behind his teeth and the blue glow seemed to spread down his throat as well.

“Babe…? I-Is this weird?” Sans asked, uncertainty in his voice as Juliette blinked a few times.

“So-Sorry! I just never expected…I-I mean I didn’t even know-“ Juliette stammered, her cheeks bright red as Sans blinked before smiling.

“There’s a lot my magic can do, babe.” He said, grinning as Juliette’s cheeks turned an even darker shade of red.

Thankfully, he didn’t tease her any further and when they kissed again, Juliette was prepared for the feeling of his tongue touching her lips. The first thing that hit her was the taste of his magic. It was amazing, really. The taste was unique and musky but Juliette was instantly addicted to it. Sans’ tongue was also able to twist and turn in ways that she knew no human’s tongue was able to. She shuddered faintly underneath him, her hands grasping onto his shoulders tightly as he shifted above her. However, before it became too heated, Sans pulled back, his eyes half-lidded as Juliette gasped and gulped in air, her lips bruised and kiss swollen. Lying back down beside her, Sans pulled Juliette close, humming contently as she leaned up and kissed the edge of his mouth before resting her head on his chest and listening to the thrum of his magic underneath her ear.

-Too bad this can’t last forever.- She thought, not knowing that Sans was thinking the same thing.

Meanwhile, back in South Lyon, things for Blue Moon weren’t going well. Victor and Lance found themselves called into Christopher Master’s office fifteen minutes after the place had closed. They knew things weren’t as good as they used to be. Less and less people were coming to the restaurant except for the regulars who have been coming for years now. The businesses that had praised them for their service a few months ago had never come back, something that deeply hurt their reputation with other businesses that frequently held the breakfast, lunch or dinner meetings in restaurants. None of them knew why, but it didn’t take much for them to figure out that Christopher knew. Stepping into the office, Victor winced slightly when he saw the stern look on his dad’s face while Lance instantly shifted.

“Sit.” Christopher said, nodding to the two chairs in front of his desk.

“What’s up, Dad?” Victor asked, blinking when his dad looked at him sharply before pulling out several papers.

“Our hiring rate has dropped nearly sixty percent. Not only that but we’re losing money because people are no longer coming in.” The man said, Victor and Lance looking at each other with a frown.

“Okay…” Victor drawled, wincing as his father glared at him.

“This only began when _you two_ put up that notice saying this establishment will not serve monsters.” He snapped, making the two men wince slightly though they didn’t look ashamed.

“Look, Mister Masters, monster should’ve never-“ Lance began, falling silent as Richard held up his hand.

“Silence, Lance. The reason why those businesses will no longer dine at this establishment is because they have monsters working for them as department heads, which are invited to meals. They refuse to deny their department heads and other employees because of one restaurant. More and more _people_ are welcoming towards monsters and have friends who are monsters; hence why they don’t want to work here.” Richard explained, watching as the two younger men frowned.

“So? Let them become friends with those _freaks_. We have loyal customers who don’t want to deal with those beasts.” Victor said, disgust in his voice.

However, both Victor and Lance jumped when Richard slammed his hands down onto the desk; their eyes wide as they looked at their angered boss. Richard is the first to admit that he’s been blind towards his son. Yes, he and his wife Martha had…spoiled Victor. They had always wanted a large family but Martha had complications during her pregnancy and after Victor was born every doctor they went to said the something that terrified them: Martha could die if she became pregnant again or could even lose the child. They had tried their hardest to give Victor a good life but along the way they lost sight of discipline; even more so when their careers took off. Now, Martha is battling cancer and he’s been spending more and more time with her to ensure she’s comfortable and isn’t suffering any more than she should. He trusted Victor with the business, figuring that his son could help draw in younger crowds and increase business. He also had thought that it was high time for Victor to learn how to run the business so he could take over one day. However, now it’s glaringly obvious that he’s made a mistake in trusting his son and his friend with the restaurant.

“Now I can see why Miss Thorn and Miss Kross left so suddenly. I’m taking back the reigns, Victor.” Richard said, his son’s eyes widening.

“W-What?!”

“You heard me. Starting tomorrow morning you and Lance are to report to here to begin your ‘training’ as busboys. Tomorrow things will be changing around here. There will be absolutely _zero_ tolerance towards discrimination because of a person’s race or, if you prefer, species. I expect many people will protest but the door is there for them to use.” Richard said, lacing his fingers together as Lance and Victor looked at him with shock.

“Mister Masters, you can’t demote us!” Lance cried, shock and anger in his voice as Richard raised an eyebrow.

“Very well, you’re free to quit. If you don’t want to accept my decision then there’s no one stopping you from seeking other employment. Though I should warn you, with attitudes like yours you’ll find gaining further employment difficult.” Richard said, watching as Lance glared down at his shoes while Victor swallowed thickly.

“Mom-“

“Has no say in this. I’m sure she’ll agree with my decision should I tell her. After all, she has several friends who are ‘monsters’. Now, you may leave and should you not return for tomorrow’s meeting before we open then I shall take your absence as you have made the choice to no longer work here.” Richard said, making the two younger men scowl as they stood.

Victor and Lance stormed from the restaurant after grabbing their things. Instead of heading towards their cars, they headed to a different bar. Ever since Richard came back two weeks earlier the restaurant and bar had been closing earlier and earlier. This was because business had slowed down and more and more people were getting their hours cut. So many of their wait staff has protested and asked questions, to which Richard had answered honestly by stating that there isn’t enough work for everyone because business has slowed down so much. Yes, their regular customers who were used to their late hours had complained about the shorter hours, but they had also noticed the slow business and lack of new and young customers.

“This is bullshit.” Lance snapped, following Victor into the bar and towards a booth.

“My old man is going off his rocker. He’s going to run the business into the ground.” Victor said, waving towards one of the waitresses.

“He sounds like a fuckin’ monster hugger. Why doesn’t he see that they’re ruining our businesses? They’re the reason why we’re not getting any more customers.” Lance complained, Victor shaking his head.

They fell silent when the waitress walked over and took their drink orders. Both of them were enraged that they’ve been demoted to _busboys_ of all things. There was no doubt that they’ll be getting pay cuts as well. Also, if Richard was going through with his promises, then the business will likely loose over half of their staff. Both men know that the cooks and four of the wait staff don’t tolerate monsters so they’ll be putting up a real argument about Richard’s newfound decisions. However, they also know that there are those who work for the bar and grill who’ll be happy about Richard’s choices. They’ve both heard the whispers about how things are going downhill and they’re being unfair to monsters and those who are dating and even friends with monsters.

“All this shit started when Angel and Juliette quit. I never thought they would have it in them to actually have the balls to open up a restaurant and club.” Victor said, Lance shaking his head.

“Always knew they’d be trouble for the business.”

“Not only that but I saw Juliette holding hands with that… _thing_ that had come into the business. Angel was talking to another one of it.” Victor said disgust in his voice as Lance sneered.

“Figures. Thorn was always a little bitch when it came to what we said about monsters. Prude too.” He said, Victor snorting in agreement as their beers arrived.

“That’s not all. I overheard Sasha talking about calling or e-mailing Thorn or Kross about getting a job with them. She said that she can’t support her brats with so few hours and such little pay. Apparently, from what she’s heard, all staff, including the wait staff make over ten bucks an hour starting and don’t have to rely on tips. Tips don’t exist in their business.” Victor added, making Lance raise an eyebrow and shake his head.

“That place is bound to go downhill fast. Monsters will show themselves as the beasts they are.” Lance said, Victor nodding in agreement.

“Apparently they’ve managed to get that famous monster singer and Adam Lambert to perform on their opening night.” Victor said, making Lance snort and take a deep drink from his beer.

“Figures.”

“I think we should go there opening night. Take pictures or record stuff on our phones.” Victor said, making his friend frown in confusion.

“Why?”

“That way my old man will know how to do better than that shithole and we’ll be given back our rightful jobs, idiot. We’re giving him the chance to get a leg up on any competition ‘Heart and Soul’ will offer.” Victor explained, Lance smirking as he thought the plan over.

“Sounds good. However, won’t Kross and Thorn toss us out?”

“They can’t unless we do something wrong. So long as we don’t get caught filming anything and we keep our thoughts about the trash that’ll be working to ourselves, we should be able to stay. Besides, it might be crowded enough that they won’t notice us.” Victor said, Lance’s grin widening before he raised his bottle.

“I’ll agree to that.” He said, clinking his beer bottle with his friend’s.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

 


	9. Important Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please Read.

** Important Notice **

Hey, everyone. So, I’ve been getting a lot, and I mean a lot of comments about my grammar and how I frequently switch from writing in past tense to present tense. Normally I wouldn’t let this get to me but I’m finally doing something about it. I will be rewriting all of my current stories both here and on archiveofourown/fanfiction. Until further notice I won’t be posting new chapters or working on the sequel for anything until I improve my writing style.

I’ve come a very long way and have improved greatly since I first began writing; something I am very proud of. However, I know I can’t spot every mistake I’ve made by myself. I am looking for a beta for both my Harry Potter stories and my Undertale stories. I’ve already reached out to two people, though I haven’t heard back from them just yet. If any of you would like to become my beta for either my Harry Potter or my Undertale stories then I’d be more than grateful. Just send me a private message. If you do want to offer your services as a beta, please note that I’ve never had one before and therefor I’m not sure if there’s a way to share documents here on the site or if we’d need to exchange actual e-mails.

Anyway enough rambling from me. As each chapter is redone I will replace the current chapter with the new one along with giving credit to whoever my new beta(s) may be and the date when the new version of the chapter has been added. Thank you all for your dedication and for trying to help me along. I truly appreciate it.


	10. Please Read/Notice

My dear readers,

I am very sad to say that, should Net Neutrality be fully taken away from my country, I very likely will be unable to continue writing on here. It isn’t that I don’t want to continue to write or that I don’t care about you or my stories, but it is simply because I will be unable to pay in order to post chapters and stories. I would normally keep my personal financial concerns to myself, but in this case I feel you should know the simple truth.

I will not have the funds to continue writing on a free site should companies and the government start charging for me to view sites and use them. As it is things are very tight financially at home and I’m very grateful to my parents who have allowed their late-twenties daughter to live with them because they know the state of our economy and how rough things are. I am working quickly to at least finish the rewrites on Emerald Blade Book One. I will continue to write regardless of Net Neutrality and will post things as quickly as I’m able to.

I deeply apologize since this means that Emerald Blade will likely never be truly finished unless Net Neutrality continues to be free.

Sincerely,

Violeteyedprincess


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